Annotated Bibliography on Food Waste - Paper Example

Food waste or wastage is the act or process by which food is discarded or lost without being put to good use or its intended purpose. There are numerous reasons and causes of food wastage which normally occurs at various production, retailing, consumption and processing stages. In other words, wastage is witnessed in various stages of food value or supply chain. This article is an annotated bibliography on food waste since it has a negative impact on all sectors of the society.

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food Loss and Food Waste. Web http://www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/ 28 Oct 2016

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (2016), hunger is the main impediment to development and growth despite the fact that the amount of food that is produced in the whole world being enough to cater for the food needs of the world population. The site provides solutions on how food wastage can be managed which is through the creation of partnerships between major and renowned organizations, civil societies, governments and the private sector. It also talks about how food wastage can be minimized through the implementation of measures that are driven towards the reduction of food waste. This site addresses the issues of food waste as it provides the true picture of the level of wastage that is witnessed in the world. According to this site, the amount of food that is wasted or spoiled before human consumption is a third of all the food that is produced. Currently, more than one billion people the world over go hungry hence food wastage results in water, energy, labor and land unproductiveness regarding food production (Food and Agricultural Organization 2016). This site clearly defines what food wastage is and which areas that cause food wastage i.e. supply chain losses. The site also goes ahead to define food loss as the decrease in amounts of available food for the whole population. Causes of food losses are also explained which may include storage, packaging, harvesting, and market dynamics and so on. The site goes ahead to give an elaborate example of how and what causes food wastage and food losses. The importance and purpose of various stakeholders in curbing food waste is explained. The various stakeholders are also mentioned with possible solutions also mentioned. The role and importance of Food and Agricultural Organization in trying to solve this issue are also mentioned. It is clear that the role of Food and Agricultural Organization is to coordinate crucial initiatives whose main target is to curb food wastage and losses on a global level. Important programs and initiatives which are spearheaded by Food and Agricultural Organization for the sole purposes of curbing food wastage are also mentioned. The site also provides more reading material on how to go about the issues of food wastage. Various initiatives are also mentioned and elaborated. Information networks on various processes that result in food wastage are mentioned on this site. Food management and global forums on food wastage are elaborated in the site extensively. Videos on food wastage and the repercussions are also available as well as videos on how various individuals can play their roles in curbing food waste. Various facts on food wastage are available on this site. Topical publications on the same issue are also available as well as links to various challenges that the site requires of various stakeholders are also available.

Foodwise. Fast Facts on Food Waste. Web http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/. 28 Oct 2016

This site is developed and designed by Cleanmedia. The site provides a detailed diagrammatic representation of various facts on food waste. The site also provides information on the same topic. The site is very easy to understand and is self-explanatory on the various issues represented. The site is very detailed and elaborate with figures as it gives statistical figures on the levels of food wastage in countries such as Australia and the resultant magnitude of the wastage. The site mentions the average percentile of food in the dustbins of most Australians together with the equivalent cost implications that would have otherwise going in meeting the household costs of electricity. A comparative analysis is done on the level of food wastage and the equivalence of wastage if put in other useful uses such as energy cost implications. The cost implication of food wastage in Australia on a yearly basis is also mentioned. Out of the total waste valuation, specific types of foods that are wasted are clearly mentioned together with their percentages. Various reasons that result in wanton and rampant food wastage such as cooking excess food, knowledge on how to make use of leftovers and so on, are clearly mentioned on the website. The site also talks about the various food wasters who include young consumers, affluent homes, and families who have children as being the main culprits of food wastage. Various environmental effects of food wastage such as the production of methane gas in landfills are also mentioned.

The site goes ahead to compare the potency of pollution between methane produced by food wastage and carbon pollution thus methane proves to be more toxic. The compound effect of food wastage by throwing out food is mentioned. Thus it comes out clear that food wastage results in wastage of labor, water, fuel and all the resources that resulted in the production of that wasted food. The setting of high standards and preferences by consumers and retailers, with regards to fruits and vegetables, results in rejection of the same in very high percentages hence leading to losses and wastages. An analytical perspective of the physical magnitude of the total volumes of food wasted in a whole year is also illustrated on the website. The site also elaborates on what was used and how data was collected so as to come up with the statistical figures that are motioned in the site. The source also shows the importance with which governments treats food wastages yet there could be other sections of the society that lack enough food. Through such sites and studies, the government can make policy adjustments and crucial allocations to sections of the society that are in need. The site also mentions the various stakeholders with which the content of the site was developed. Readers and visitors to the website are also prompted to participate in initiatives that are driven towards curbing food wastages.

Brian Lipinski, Craig Hanson, James Lomax, Lisa Kitinoja, Richard Waite and Tim Searchinger. Reducing Food Loss and Waste. Web http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/reducing_food_loss_and_waste.pdf , 2013

This journal on food wastage and losses was done by Tim Searchinger, James Lomax, Lisa Kitinoja, Richard Waite, Craig Hanson and Brian Lipinski in 2013. The article is published in the world Resources Institute Website which contains vast volumes of credible information, publications, and research. In this specific article on ways of reducing food loss and wastage, aspects of specific amounts of food loss and wastage are talked about, ways and means of reducing the same and recommendations on how to go about the same. The journal is very detailed and informative as it starts with a summary of the article and all that the article contains. The article gives a tabulated analytical view between food loss and wastage visa vis sustainable food measures of the future. Detailed comments and definitions are given on the various ways of curbing food loss and wastage. Facts are supplemented and augmented by availing of reports from the world Resource Report. The journal acknowledges the various stages within the food chain that food loss and wastage are witnessed which are production, handling, processing, distribution, and consumption. The article acknowledges that wastages start right at the point of production in the farm field through to the various points of the value chain. According to the researchers, food loss and wastage do not include by-products, overconsumption, surplus food and foods produced or grown for industrial use. The magnitude and the levels of food wastage are analyzed in detail together with the scope of data that is contained in the article. A global analysis of specific food wastages regarding percentages is diagrammatically presented together with their subsequent implications. Comparative analysis of the levels of wastage in developed and developing countries coupled with the benefits and importance of curbing food wastages within the various stages of the value chain. Diverse approaches are also offered on how to contain and manage the food wastages, and the article goes ahead, to be honest enough to mention that the enumerated approaches are not exhaustive. The article mentions the importance women hold in controlling and managing food wastage. The article discusses the importance of food redistribution especially in regions that there is surplus production together with case studies on how such a measure works. The article also mentions the various importance of proper food storage using crates and correct food labeling regarding the date of manufacture and expiry dates. Government intervention and indulgence in terms of ensuring that strict adherence is maintained in terms of labeling of such information on all food products. The importance of the role of consumers is also emphasized with regards to awareness campaigns. The journal also emphasizes the importance of reducing the amount and size of food portions and individual can have at one go. Individuals are encouraged to purchase what they need for consumption so as to avoid wastage in terms of disposal of excess food. The article is also very informative as it presents problem scenarios together with what can be done so that the problem that is at hand can be solved in the best way possible. For that matter, the introduction of trayless cafeterias is viewed as a possible solution towards curbing food wastage. With regards to probable recommendations that can lead to reduced food wastage and losses, the article recommends the setting up of a protocol that will deal with measuring the total amount of food that is lost or wasted. The setting of corporate, global, national and sub-national food waste and loss targets is also recommended so as to tackle the problem from all dimensions. Collaborative acceleration and support initiatives driven towards food loss reductions are highly recommended by the article.

Leal Filho Walter and Kovaleva Marina. Food Waste and Sustainable Food Waste Management in the Baltic Sea Region 2015. Web 29 Oct 2016

This book talks about the food waste and sustainable food waste management especially in the Baltic Sea Region countries of Latvia, Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Sweden. The book conveniently available as it can be found both as a hardcover or an e-book. The findings of the book are quite credible since the studies conducted were quite extensive. It is quite clear from the book that the magnitude of food waste is varied with each country and that knowledge of the same is limited based on the lack of studies on the same. The book is all-rounded as it also talks about waste management with regards to wasted foods. The book classifies food waste as a type of bio-waste. Sources of information are credible as it is sourced from Food and Agricultural Organization data. It is clear that food waste results in negative effects on the environment, global climate with regards to greenhouse gas emissions and inefficiency in land and water usage. Cost implication of food waste in industrialized countries is analyzed. The book classifies food waste based on availability rating into avoidable food waste, possibly avoidable food waste and avoidable fo...