Billions of dollars worth of food is being needlessly thrown away each year in Canada, a new report has found.
The report, released by the non-profit group Second Harvest on Tuesday, found that the Canadian food system discards an estimated $58 billion worth of food each year. Of that amount, 41.7 per cent does not need to be tossed.
Best before dates are also a concern, the study found, as they account for almost a quarter of all avoidable food waste. Nikkel said best before dates aren’t about safety, but instead reflect food quality and result in $13.2 billion in wasted food each year. Nikkel said the findings shine a light on one of the “most pressing issues of our time: food waste and its deep connection to the affordability crisis we are all witnessing, and many of us are feeling.”
Nikkel said it’s more important than ever for Canadians to “understand the full scope of food, where we are wasting it, and why, and right now, during a time when people can least afford to waste it,” and take actions to reduce it.’Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel speaks during the Oct. 22 launch of a new report on food waste in Canada.
“The research we’re presenting today is more than just numbers. It’s a call to action, action, action. By reducing food waste, we can directly impact food insecurity, help stabilize our environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and stretch all of our dollars even further.
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