Food waste affects us all. It is part of the bigger sustainability challenge facing large cities like New York and how we strategically handle the enormous waste that is produced on a daily basis. For those of us who research and follow this topic, the facts below are well known.

Food Waste Statistics

• 14% of the greenhouse gases emitted in the U.S. that are contributing to climate change stem from getting food from the farm to your fork…and then to the landfill.
• About 29% of global fish stocks are over-exploited and 61% are fully exploited.
• Scientists are raising concern that the increase in wastage of consumable food across the globe will directly contribute to increased deforestation of tropical forests.
• The percentage of water wasted when we waste food is a staggering 24% of all water used for agriculture.
• Every year, American consumers, businesses, and farms spend $218 billion – 1.3% of GDP – growing, processing, transporting, and disposing food that is never eaten.
• Waste occurs throughout the supply chain, with nearly 85% occurring downstream at consumer-facing businesses (grocers, restaurants, institutional cafeterias) and homes. Meanwhile 42 million Americans, 1 in 6, remain food insecure.

At this panel we will hear from experts working in the field in various capacities – academia, government, NGOs and practitioners at the corporate and the individual level. They will discuss their learnings and suggest actions we can take towards making our food waste foot print smaller. ‘When we throw away food, we’re also throwing away the land, water, and energy used to produce that food.’ That’s why it’s imperative to learn about food waste and take the necessary actions.

Moderator: Claire Uno, Assistant Executive Director, Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy Program in Nutrition, Teachers College Columbia University

Panelists: Ranjith Kharvel Annepu, Co-founder and Curator, ‘Be Waste Wise’; Eva Goulbourne, Associate Director, Programs & Communications, ReFED; Robert Lee, Co-founder, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine; Pamela Koch, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Teacher’s College and Executive Director, Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy Program in Nutrition, Teachers College Columbia University;  Patrick O’Neill, Founder and CEO, Amp Your Good.