13th November 2026
Waste not!
This chapter begins with facts we probably half know but which are nevertheless staggering. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 1.7 billion Tom es do food is wasted every year – about 30% of all food production. Eliminate waste and we could set aside 30% of farmland for nature, cut 3.3 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and save 250 cubic kilometres of water!
In the global south much of this waste happens during transit and storeage due to frequently high temperatures and humidity, less efficient infrastructure and facilities. (P204-205 Eat the Planet Well).
In the UK Goulson lays much of the blame with supermarkets. Their monopolistic size means they can strike one-sided deals with farmers where the farmers loose out if:
- they don’t produce enough of the specified fruit/ vegetables
- produce too much – either the supermarket won’t buy the excess or because the product is oversupplied, reduces the price paid
- produce is turned down by the supermarket for being the wrong shape, colour etc (p205-206).
We the customer can circumvent this by subscribing to a veg box scheme or buying via an local market – but such options are not always available.
But the supermarkets aren’t the only source of food waste. We the UK consumer, throw away approximately 12% of the food we buy (this doesn’t include natural waste such as egg shells and banana skins). Such food waste is less common in the Global South! (P207)
Goulson lists simple ways to minimise food waste
* Plan meals in advance; check what you already have and make list of what need
- Buy wonky food when available
- Beware bulk-buy offers unless you know you can use or store the food
- Buy from a local greengrocer of veg box scheme
- Store foods appropriately – eg apples but not bananas in the fridge
- Regularly check the fridge for forgotten foods
- Resuscitate bendy carrots in cold water
- Weigh pasta and rice rather than guessing
- Freeze uneaten food, and/ or use in curries etc
- Be sensible about whether a food is edible when it exceeds its ‘sell by date’
- Recycle scraps via compost bins (not meat/fish) or via the council’s food waste bin (including meat/fish)
- Never put food waste in the general rubbish bin. (P210-211)
Further sources of info:
https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/fhnjffvb/fafw_tips_reduce_food_waste.pdf
