This - How did Denmark become a leader in the food waste revolution - versus This -

[malaise]

Half of all US food produce is thrown away, new research suggests

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/how-did-denmark-become-a-leader-in-the-food-waste-revolution
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Bach and a group of volunteers sell to 100-150 locals each week, and are at the grassroots end of Denmark’s battle against food waste, which is one of the most concerted in the world, and has cut waste by a quarter since 2010.

“Customers include those on benefits, refugees, low-income families – anyone really,” says Bach. “We don’t ask their background as many people need help these days with cutbacks. There’s also a big focus on the environment in Denmark – plus we have really high taxes. Danes love to save money and if they can help the planet at the same time, it’s win-win.”

Up the road is Horsens’ Visionary Kitchen where volunteers prepare free meals from shop-donated food that has reached its sell-by date. At volunteer-run food bank Kolding Madhjælp, pallets of supermarket produce that have been wrongly marked and might otherwise be destroyed are stocked alongside surplus food from a nearby hotel. Copenhagen’s first food waste supermarket, Wefood, has been such a success that a second is planned for Aarhus in 2017.

Startup Too Good To Go tackles waste from Danes’ favourite weekend institution: the all you can eat buffet. An app pairs customers with outlets come closing time, allowing them to fill a box with food at knock-down prices. And at Denmark’s 103 Q8 service stations staff recycle imperfect pastries into romkugler, or rum balls.

Denmark has more initiatives against food waste in Europe than any other state – from awareness campaigns and partnerships to government subsidies for food waste projects. This is largely thanks to Stop Spild Af Mad - Stop Wasting Food – a lobby group set up by graphic designer Selina Juul.

and the US

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect
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Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a “cult of perfection”, deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment.

Vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards, according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials.

From the fields and orchards of California to the population centres of the east coast, farmers and others on the food distribution chain say high-value and nutritious food is being sacrificed to retailers’ demand for unattainable perfection.

“It’s all about blemish-free produce,” says Jay Johnson, who ships fresh fruit and vegetables from North Carolina and central Florida. “What happens in our business today is that it is either perfect, or it gets rejected. It is perfect to them, or they turn it down. And then you are stuck.”

Food waste is often described as a “farm-to-fork” problem. Produce is lost in fields, warehouses, packaging, distribution, supermarkets, restaurants and fridges.

By one government tally, about 60m tonnes of produce worth about $160bn (£119bn), is wasted by retailers and consumers every year - one third of all foodstuffs.

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