Why are Food-Related Issues so Complicated?

Every year, Americans waste 92 billion pounds of food worth $473 Billion, but access to food remains a challenge for many Americans. Food is a complex topic in Urban planning, and in this post, I will delve into America’s food production landscape, food deserts, and food waste. 

At 389.8M hectares (and accounting for 44% of America’s land), the US has the most arable land of any country. With this land, we produce many products like corn, cattle, soy, and dairy. In terms of production, the US is in solid terms. 

However, problems do exist in the distribution of food. 6.2% of the US has food deserts—areas where people do not have easy access to healthy food; food deserts result from transportation issues, low income, and an abundance of unhealthy food. The map below shows Food deserts in the US, and it is apparent that many regions in the US don’t have reliable access to healthy food. 

On the flip side, there is a food waste epidemic in the US, with 38% of food going to waste. Some estimates say that over 80% of Americans discard food due to a misconception of expiry dates. Additionally, 16% of our food waste comes from farms, 43% from homes, and 40% from grocery markets, restaurants, and other commercial entities. Furthermore, this food waste contributes 3.3 billion tons of CO2, more emissions than most countries. To combat the issue of food waste, we should consider other actions, shown in the hierarchy below. 

Although the situation seems dire, many countries have implemented brilliant food policies to combat food waste. In France, for example, grocery stores cannot throw out food that can be donated, which can save billions of pounds of food every year. This solution would fall under the “feeding hungry people” category, an excellent outcome on the hierarchy. 

Another solution is tech-oriented: an app called Too Good to Go. This app allows stores that would otherwise waste their food to sell it at a lower price, and people can request a food pick-up at a convenient time. Like France’s solution, this also helps feed people who want food while allowing businesses to make extra money. This innovation would work nicely in cities because deliveries will be efficient. 

Another tech-oriented solution to food waste is apps that upcycle produce: Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods are two examples of subscription-based companies that offer “ugly” produce that would otherwise be wasted solely for their appearance. These apps would also work great in cities due to efficient deliveries. 

Although there are many issues in the food industry, many solutions are rising, and there is bound to be better food security and less food waste. 

In the next article of Urban Draft, we will delve into a case study on Sanitation and its role in Urban planning (It plays a big role!). 

Finally, as always, feel free to leave a comment or some constructive criticism—feedback will help improve my future posts!

Bibliography

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3. “Fighting Food Waste and Hunger with Food Rescue.” Feeding America, 2024, www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/reduce-food-waste#:~:text=Food%20waste%20statistics%20in%20the,all%20the%20food%20in%20America.

4. “United States - Agricultural Land (% of Land Area)2024 Data 2025 Forecast 1961-2021 Historical.” United States - Agricultural Land (% Of Land Area) - 2024 Data 2025 Forecast 1961-2021 Historical, 2024, tradingeconomics.com/united-states/agricultural-land-percent-of-land-area-wb-data.html#:~:text=Agricultural%20land%20(%25%20of%20land%20area)%20in%20United%20States%20was,compiled%20from%20officially%20recognized%20sources. 

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