Learn about Agriculture

snapAG

What are GMOs and are they okay to eat? What does organic farming look like? How are animals like chickens or cattle raised? snapAG is a series of resources that invite students to explore the hot topics affecting the agriculture industry today. Topics range from organics, biotechnology, GMOs, livestock, and more.

Explore what’s trending in agriculture in Canada by browsing the topics below.

 
Search

Food Waste

Food Waste

In a world where many people are hungry and malnourished, an estimated one-third of all food is lost or wasted! 

Food waste is a waste of resources

The loss of food that could be eaten by people is a waste of resources used for growing food, including water, land, energy, labour, equipment, fuel, seed, fertilizer etc. Lost food that decomposed also contributes to global warming and climate change.

Where food is wasted

In developing countries, most of the food is lost in the fields and getting food to market. Often developing countries don’t have access to crop production products, adequate storage and transportation and/or lack the education and skills to improve farming practices.

In countries like Canada, the waste occurs more at the consumer level. In our quest for the perfect food, excessive portions at restaurants and throwing out leftovers and food past the “best before” date - we waste between 95 – 115 kg food per year (per capita)!

  Download pdf to Learn More

Related SnapAG Articles

Related articles

Websites to Investigate This Topic Further

Footnotes

  1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2017). “Food Loss and Food Waste.”
  2. FAO. (2017). “Sustainable Food Value Chains Knowledge Platform.”
  3. FAO International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Food Program. (2015). “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Food Security and Nutrition.”
  4. Martin V. Gooch & Abdel Felfel. (December 10, 2014). “$27 Billion” Revisited: The Cost of Canada’s Annual Food Waste.
  5. FAO. (2013). Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural Resources Summary Report.
  6. Brian Lipinski et al, World Resources Institute. (June 2013). “Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, Installment Two.”
  7. FAO. (2017). “SAVE FOOD: Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction.”
  8. VCM International. (2013).
  9. FAO. (2017).
  10. Waste Reduction Action Plan (WRAP). (2017).
  11. United Nations. (June 7, 2016). “UN Announces First-Ever Global Standard to Measure Food Loss and Waste.”

References

Photo Credits

  • "Flea beetle damage to canola seed pod", Page 2 – Shanna Schroeder 

All Snap AG Categories

Tags

food

Theme picker

Tag Cloud

snapAG is supported by the following partners