Should the CA Government Fund Food Waste Reduction Efforts More?

Did you know what around ⅓ of all food produced worldwide is left uneaten? Food waste is a massive problem everywhere in the world. This is primarily due to people throwing away old food in landfills instead of composting, which allows old food to decompose and help other produce grow. Instead, food waste rots in landfills producing methane gas which is twenty-eight times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide which is produced from the burning of fossil fuels. I firmly believe that food waste reduction efforts need to be more heavily funded by the California government because food waste leads to a massive loss of money, it contributes heavily to food insecurity, and it is extremely harmful to the environment.

California Should Invest More in the Food Waste Industry

My first point on why the California government should fund food waste reduction more is because it leads to an enormous loss of money. This statement is supported by a quote from “Newspapers” that states, “Around a third of the world's food is lost or thrown away each year. Currently, we waste 1.6 billion tons of food annually, worth about $1.2 trillion dollars.” This is a massive waste of money for governments worldwide. It only makes sense that the California government should invest more into this industry because it would save them a great deal of money that could be utilized for other industries.

Food Waste Can Be Used to Help Those in Need

My second reason for why the California government needs to fund food waste cutback more is because food waste is a major contributor to food insecurity. This statement is supported by “Scholarly Journals” who express that, “Reducing food waste would save money, increase the amount of food available for people who don't always have enough to eat, conserve natural resources and energy, decrease environmental damage, and contribute to addressing climate change.” This excerpt states (amongst other things) that reducing food waste would result in an increase in the amount of food that could be donated to people facing food insecurity. Governments need to fund organizations that tackle this problem because they can connect people who are in need of food to food which would otherwise have been wasted in landfills and contributed to climate change. An additional benefit of funding these organizations is that it will save the government money by cutting down food loss.

Food Waste Has a Major Environmental Impact

My third point on why governments must fund anti food waste organizations is because food waste is extremely harmful to the environment. A quote from “Painted Bins” supports this by stating, “Wasted food represents around 8% of the world’s global greenhouse gas emissions.” This is a massive portion of all greenhouse gasses which are directly responsible for climate change which is a problem for which many nations are searching for a solution. This further solidifies that food waste is a huge problem that needs more funding from the California government which is very advanced and has plenty of resources to invest.

California Can Lead the Way in the Food Waste Industry

In conclusion, food waste is an immense problem that needs to be further focused on and invested into by the California government because it costs governments billions of dollars a year, it contributes heavily to food insecurity, and it is horrible for the environment. California needs to take responsibility as a nation that is very advanced and with many available resources at their disposal that could be beneficial to reducing food waste not only in the state but across the entire world.

Derin Binyildiz, 9th grade student, Terra Linda High School, San Rafael, CA

Works Cited
"Global Food Waste Could Rise By a Third By 2030 - Study." AllAfrica.com, 08/21 2018. ProQuest; eLibrary, https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2091147715?accountid=194106.

Accessed 16 Oct. 2023
“Painted Bins.” Painted Bins, www.paintedbins.org/.

Accessed 18 Oct. 2023.
"Tips for Cutting Food Waste (and Why You Should)." Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, vol. 40, no. 12 2023, pp. 4-5. ProQuest; eLibrary, https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2770950872?accountid=194106. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023