November, 2022 Earth Ministry Challenge: Food Waste is a Spiritual and Social Justice Issue
Each day Americans waste from 30-40 percent of food produced in this country. How often do you toss moldy leftovers, pour out half a gallon of expired milk, or throw away wilting lettuce or spoiled produce? A recent USDA study showed that American consumers each throw away almost 1 lb of food per day. Almost 20% of the food put on the plates of Americans is trashed annually. By one estimate, Americans throw away $1,600 worth of fresh food every year.
This is much more than just financial waste. Pope Francis has called throwing away food “stealing from the poor.” Christians tend to excel at donating food to the hungry, but we have a blind spot when it comes to seeing the link between food waste and hunger.
Imagine a subsistence farmer in Brazil whose land was taken by a large multinational conglomerate for cattle farming. The farmer ends up in a tin shack on the outskirts of a large city, no longer able to provide his own food and desperate for work. The beef makes its way to a Raleigh supermarket and I buy it and make a large pot of beef stew for my family. I put the leftovers in the back of the fridge, where I forget about them and later throw them away.
Modern life involves many tradeoffs, but waste of this kind is difficult to justify when you’re aware of the hidden costs. The waste of food also harms the environment, as more land than necessary is cleared, soil depleted of nutrients, and waters contaminated by runoff of agricultural pollution.
Food waste also contributes to climate change. Reducing food waste ranks number three among the climate solutions in Paul Hawken’s Drawdown solutions. The milk that you just poured down the drain was produced by a cow that ate grain grown using fossil fuels, fertilizers and pesticides. Cows release tremendous amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as they digest their food. Manure from cattle feedlots releases more methane as it decays.
Consider how you can show your gratitude to God by taking steps to pay attention to your attitude toward food. Is the food you eat being produced, transported, prepared and eaten in ways that respect the gifts of God’s creation and his creatures?
Jesus emulated what we should do with the miracle of God’s abundance. After Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, “they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.” I doubt the bread ended up in a landfill.
What can you do to help?
Plan your meals. Check your refrigerator before going to the grocery store. Plan to use the foods you already have on hand. Check recipes for the amount of perishable ingredients needed. Don’t over purchase perishables. Store your food properly. Freeze leftover fruits and vegetables for smoothies, baking or soups before they spoil. Make smoothies or pudding to use up milk and beverages before they spoil. When eating at restaurants, bring reusable food containers to carry home leftovers or split a meal to reduce food waste. And of course, be sure to compost your food waste!!!
Practice “Use it Up” measures. Establish one day a week as leftover day. Change your attitude about the importance of the appearance of your fresh produce. Consider buying smaller, less attractive, slightly
blemished fruits and vegetables that are equally nutritious. Often these items were grown in a more sustainable manner.
Holidays are often a time of excessive cooking and overindulgence.
Think more carefully about the quantities of food you prepare. Consider cutting a recipe in half. Make a plan for leftovers. Where possible, freeze leftovers, create soups or even enjoy pie for breakfast!
Get involved with food rescue organizations in your community. Support food-rescue efforts for families in need. Check your pantry periodically for nonperishable foods that you can donate to a charitable organization. When hosting a large event, have plans in advance for sharing perishable leftovers with a food rescue organization.
Five Ways to Fight Food Waste: https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/5-ways-fight-food-waste
Food Waste Is the World’s Dumbest Problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RlxySFrkIM
To learn what the dates on food packaging really mean go to:
Community:https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-too-good-waste-implementation-guide-and-toolkit
Americans Waste About A Pound of Food A Day
For these and more resources about food waste go to: https://www.zerowastechurch.org/2017/11/01/november-reducing-food-waste/
We thank the Church of the Nativity for sharing their environmental educational resources with us. This article was reprinted from a 2018 Pullen News article.
Pullen’s Earth Ministry Team, 2022
