The Landscape of Food Waste in Canada | Second Harvest

Summary

Canada faces a severe food waste crisis, with 58% of food going to waste annually—enough to feed the population for five months. Despite having enough food to feed 52 million people, 5.6 million Canadians are food insecure. The environmental impact is dire, as food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This waste occurs at all stages of the supply chain, from production to consumer homes. Solutions include changing how we view food waste, improving planning, and redistributing food to reduce waste and help those in need, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future.

Takeaways

• 😀 Canada's food loss and waste problem is among the worst globally, with 58% of all food in Canada wasted each year.
• 😀 Despite having enough food to feed 52 million people, 5.6 million Canadians are food insecure, unable to access sufficient healthy food.
• 😀 35.5 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in Canada, which could feed the entire population for five months.
• 😀 If food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to methane from landfills.
• 😀 Food loss and waste occurs across the entire supply chain, from production to consumption, affecting multiple stages.
• 😀 In the production stage, labor shortages and low prices result in food being left to rot or plowed back into the ground.
• 😀 In the fishing industry, fish that don't meet quotas are discarded, further contributing to food waste.
• 😀 Produce that doesn’t meet exact visual criteria is rejected during processing and manufacturing, leading to significant waste.
• 😀 71% of all food waste occurs during production, processing, and manufacturing stages, where most waste is generated.
• 😀 Retailers and food service businesses often waste food by overstocking shelves and serving oversized portions, especially in restaurants and institutions.
• 😀 At the consumer level, 14% of total food waste happens in households, driven by expired best-before dates, poor meal planning, and forgotten food in fridges.

Q & A

What is the scale of food loss and waste in Canada?

Canada loses or wastes 58% of its food, which amounts to 35.5 million tonnes every year. This is enough to feed everyone in Canada for five full months.

How many Canadians are affected by food insecurity?

Approximately 5.6 million Canadians experience food insecurity, meaning they struggle to access, purchase, or prepare healthy food.

What is the environmental impact of food loss and waste?

Food waste is a major environmental issue, as it creates methane gas when it decomposes in landfills. Methane is 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

How does the food supply chain contribute to food waste?

Food loss and waste happen throughout the food supply chain, including at production, processing, and consumption stages. Factors include labor shortages, unharvested produce, wasteful packaging, and poor planning.

What are some specific examples of food waste at the production stage?

At the production stage, fruit can rot under trees due to labor shortages, and low prices can make it uneconomical for farmers to harvest crops. In the fishing industry, fish are discarded if they don't meet quotas.

Why does food waste occur during processing and manufacturing?

In processing and manufacturing, food is rejected if it doesn't meet specific standards for size, color, or appearance. Additionally, producers often prepare more than necessary to avoid shortages, and a lack of regulation on best before dates leads to waste.

How do retailers contribute to food waste?

Retailers contribute to food waste by overstocking shelves with fresh products to attract customers, knowing that some food will go unsold. The pressure to have long best before dates leads to products being discarded when shoppers choose items with later dates.

What causes food waste in restaurants and institutions?

In restaurants and institutions like hospitals and schools, food is often served in large portions to create a sense of abundance, but many diners can't finish their meals. Additionally, poor inventory management and planning lead to waste.

What role does the consumer play in food waste at home?

At home, consumers contribute to food waste by discarding perfectly good food after it passes its best before date, or by forgetting about food that gets pushed to the back of the fridge. Without a proper meal plan, fresh food like meat, produce, and dairy can rot.

How much money do Canadians waste on food annually?

Canadians waste an average of $1,766 worth of food per household every year.

What can be done to address food waste in Canada?

To reduce food waste, there needs to be a shift in how we view food waste, seeing it as an avoidable issue rather than a necessity. Collective efforts from individuals, businesses, and governments are required to redistribute good food to communities rather than send it to landfills.