Reducing food waste would mitigate climate change

Up to 14% of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities could be eliminated by 2050 through better food management and distribution, according to a scientific study by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research echoed by The Guardian. Agriculture emitted up to 20% of global greenhouse gases in 2010, says report co-author Prajal Pradhan, so preventing food loss and waste would help mitigate global warming.

Between 30 and 40% of the food produced in the world is not consumed, either because it spoils after harvesting, or because distributors or consumers throw it away. As we know, this waste is greater in developed countries, and the problem may worsen when emerging economies such as China fully adopt Western consumption habits. The reduction of food waste and a better distribution of surplus food would help combat the hunger of those who do not have what they need, and would also help reduce the greenhouse effect.