In the food chain there is a huge amount of waste, supermarkets discount (sometimes heavily) food as it reaches its 'use by' date yet they still throw away many tonnes every day. It does not sit right with so many starving in the world.
You are right. People from food industry can easily make the connections between business-practices, supply-chain management, aggregate demand, and resource waste. For example, if fish is getting thrown away constantly in food-service facilities to ensure product-freshness, many times more fish could be getting thrown away as eaten. That could translate into multiple ship-loads of fish caught for every ship-load actually eaten. Some people from non-food industry assumes that overfishing is the result of too many people eating fish, but I think they failed to consider that it's not the amount of fish being eaten but the amount being wasted that is causing the overfishing. (Note: I only used fish but equally applicable to other commodities.)
Slightly off topic I know.
It's ok but I recognize we have stepped beyond the boundary of food safety.
If you are talking about restaurants, cafes etc. Cook to order is best obviously as well as knowing your customers and expected trade, good stock control, FIFO etc. You can only minimize waste by good management. There's normally good profit on food, so some waste is covered.
I agree with you that supply-chain management should aim for maximum efficiency and minimum waste to feed the maximum number of people possible, but I thinkit is an economic mistake to view consumer behavior as the ultimate determining factor in how much resources are used per unit consumption. A more wasteful culture of consumption therefore burden resource-management more than a more efficient culture, even if the more wasteful one has less reproduction, because it is still reproducing and expanding its waste-culture, IMO.
Where I live we are provided with 4 different bins; one for general waste, one for glass and plastics, one for paper and cardboard and one for garden waste In addition we have been given a small bin for food waste with a biodegradable liner, which when full goes in the garden waste bin. Not sure where it goes, hopefully to some good use.
Regards,
Simon
It should go to some good use. Again, my assertion is the reason why there is scarcity in the world is because there is waste and inefficiency.
Edited by mind over matter, 11 November 2011 - 04:25 PM.
