Global Food Waste
Fighting Food Inflation with Imperfect Foods
by Jalin Abston
The year of 2020 recorded a grave increase in global food insecurity, further impacting vulnerable households and communities. Even before COVID-19 crisis, reduced incomes and disrupted supply chains, chronic and hunger were the severe consequences of war and conflict, socio-economic conditions, natural hazards and climate change issues. The World Bank Group stated that in spite of a stable global food prices, “numerous countries are experiencing high food price inflation at the retail level, reflecting supply disruptions due to COVID-19, currency devaluations and other factors.”
Imperfect Foods produce box. Courtesy of Imperfect Foods.
The rise of food prices have greatly impacted low-and middle-income countries. Higher retail prices, combined with reduced incomes, means more and more households are having to cut down on the quantity and quality of their food consumption. In the United States, food injustice can affect minority groups including African-Americans, Hispanics and Indigenous persons which populate many of our low-income cities due to systemic and environmental racism. A method to provide food security within communities helps to avoid unnecessary food waste and discarded produce that has been rejected by grocery stores. Food production accounts for nearly one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Our World in Data reports that foods that are never eaten (foods lost in the supply chain and consumer waste) accounts for 6% of global gas emissions.
Courtesy of Imperfect Foods.
Perfectly good food can go to waste due to cosmetics (e.g., blemishes, minor insect damage on the skin), surplus/excess of inventory, low demand, changes in brand packaging and short-coding (i.e., stocking items with an expiration date less than a few months away). The online grocery service, Imperfect Foods, offers ‘imperfect’ produce, affordable pantry items, and quality eggs, dairy, proteins. Their mission is to eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone through intentional sustainable sourcing, reducing waste to landfills, using energy responsibly and increasing access to healthy foods. Imperfect Foods conveniently delivers groceries to their customers’ doorsteps in a reusable, biodegradable and compostable box.
Since their founding, they've donated over 6 million pounds of food. Imperfect Foods currently donates thousands of pounds of food each week to food banks and nonprofits across the country. Imperfect Foods also donates and provides support to Feeding America’s work to feed people in need and help support emergency food distribution efforts, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Use the code ‘ SUSTAIN ‘ for 30% off your first Imperfect Foods box purchase!
In Paid Partnership with Imperfect Foods
