Food waste is often mentioned as an issue and it has recently been given the spotlight again with the announcement that thousands of tonnes of food that might otherwise go to waste will be delivered to those who need it most, thanks to a new £15 million government fund. More information here!
This is undoubtedly good news but what is the impact on land use of this wasted food in the first place? Could that land be better used for wildlife and what changes do we need to see in order to make that happen?
"When we throw food in the bin, we are effectively throwing away all the energy, effort, water and natural resources that went into making that food in the first place. About one third of food is thrown away – on the farm, by companies, by supermarkets and at home. That’s enough to feed three billion people, so the consequences of food waste are economic, environmental and humanitarian, and simply unacceptable." (Sustain More information here!)
How much land is used to grow this food that never gets onto our plates? Let's unpick some stats!
- Bread: Bread is one of the most commonly wasted food items in the UK. It is estimated that approximately 900,000 tonnes of bread are wasted each year, both at the production and consumer levels.
Based on average wheat yields per hectare in UK, Germany, France, US and Canada (where the majority of flour used in the UK comes from), and on needing around 600g for every kilo of bread, this equates to around 95,338 ha or approximately half the size of Herefordshire
- Potatoes: Potatoes are another major food waste contributor in the UK. About 750,000 tonnes of potatoes are wasted annually, often due to overbuying, spoilage, or aesthetic imperfections.
Equating to around 21,430 ha land (1.5 times the size of the Brecon Beacons National Park)
- Milk: Milk is a highly perishable product, and around 490 million pints of milk are wasted each year in the UK. This waste can occur due to factors such as expiration, improper storage, or surplus production.
Equating to the amount of milk that comes from 40,000 cows in a year, approximately 20,000 hectares of land or around half the size of the Wye Valley National Landscape area.
In total this is nearly 140,000 hectares of land which is used to produce food which is wasted by the UK- 2/3rds the size of Herefordshire.
One thing that is seen as a negative of nature friendly farming, is a potentially reduced yield. High yield is being sought to meet the demand of a broken system of distribution and that high yield is often gained by the use of synthetic fertilisers and chemicals.. However if we can reduce the waste in the system, then that perceived reduced yield from sustainable systems (which is not always the case anyway - we can discuss that another time!) might not matter so much?
If we can shorten the food chain and link farmers and producers directly with end consumers then we might be able to reduce the waste in the system drastically and create more space for nature while also feeding our population.