Abstract

Food waste is a global problem, and in the U.S. we waste an estimated 103 million pounds of food a year. Wasted food means wasted land resources (about 30% of all agricultural land), energy and water, and contributes to environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. Food waste has different impacts on people who live in richer verses poorer nations.  Francis L. de los Reyes III, Ph.D., explains that we need systems thinking to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 — to halve the global per capita food waste. We need to target the parts of the food systems that will result in the greatest reduction in food waste, and continue research on converting food waste into energy.

Dr. de los Reyes is the Glenn E. and Phyllis J. Futrell Distinguished Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor, and University Faculty Scholar at NC State. He is an environmental engineer and scientist working on microbial processes for conversion of wastes to energy and resources, applied microbial ecology, and global sanitation.

TRANSCRIPT

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

1. Francis de los Reyes: Sanitation is a basic human right | TED Talk

   Warning: This talk might contain much more than you'd ever want to know about the way the world poops. But as sanitation activist (and TED Fellow) Francis de los Reyes asks — doesn't everyone deserve a safe place to go?

2. A Brief History of Toilets

3. International Water Association  (IWA) Webinar: Sanitation and Health

4. Food Waste in America

5. John Oliver talks about food waste