The hidden climate cost: Food loss, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions

Professor Gordon Price from Dalhousie University and Professor Grant Clark from McGill University's Department of Bioresource Engineering study the hidden climate change costs of food loss and waste in Canada. In a new article for Open Access Government, they highlight the need for greater cooperation and data sharing.

What connects a meal left uneaten, crops left to rot in the field, and spoiled produce buried in a landfill? They all contribute to the more than one billion tonnes of food that is lost or wasted globally every year. Food loss and waste is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions and consequently a driver of climate change. The intertwined relationship between food policy, production, and consumption requires that government, industry, and consumers take immediate and collective action to reduce food loss and waste and its environmental impact.

Reducing the climate impacts of food loss and waste requires efforts across the entire food supply chain. Improved agricultural practices, better storage and transportation infrastructure, and optimized supply chains can all reduce food loss. Alerting processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers to the environmental consequences of food waste can promote more efficient practices and the adoption of more sustainable consumption habits.

Policies to reduce food loss and waste will play a pivotal role, such as the promotion of circular economic initiatives for food recovery, redistribution, and recycling. Dalhousie University and McGill University are leading research that tackles these pressing issues in several ways:

• Building open platforms for sharing data and exchanging information.
• Tracking the flow of food at municipal and national scales.
• Comparing GHGs generated from different waste management practices.
• Evaluating current regulations.

The impact of food loss and waste on greenhouse gas emissions is a pressing issue that demands urgent attention and lasting commitment from all of us.