How much food is wasted in the United States?
According to a 1997 USDA study, approximately 96 billion pounds (i.e., over 25%) of the nation’s total production of 356 billion pounds of food that is produced for human consumption in the U.S. each year, is lost at the retail and food service levels. What national food recovery initiatives currently exist? The USDA has taken a variety of steps to promote food recovery, including the following: • Working with the National Restaurant Association to produce a food recovery handbook for its members; • Helping hunters to donate venison to food banks; • Empowering schools to donate excess food from the National School Lunch Program; Encouraging airlines to donate unserved meals; • Working with the Department of Transportation to develop a comprehensive way to transport recovered foods; • Working with the Department of Defense to excess food; and • Providing technical assistance to thousands of community-based groups and private citizens across the country who seek to help. How are food don
