I am a junior at Camden Hills Regional High School, and this past semester I have been working on a cumulative project for my Advanced Placement Capstone class.

For this project I have been focusing on food waste in the United States. I was shocked to learn that the U.S. wastes roughly 40 percent of all food produced, and a lot of this waste is coming from grocery stores.

I also found that wasted food is causing drastic impacts on the environment. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, disposed food costs the U.S. $218 billion each year to grow, process, transport and then eventually dispose of in landfills. The NRDC also found that wasted food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 37 million cars. This ozone released into the air can trigger health issues, particularly in children and the elderly.

However, while food waste is a very serious issue, poverty continues to be one also. Last year, the official poverty rate was 12.7 percent, affecting roughly 43.1 million Americans; many of whom are struggling with accessing sufficient food.

I believe that legislation should be passed that encourages grocery stores and major companies to donate edible unsold food to charities instead of throwing it away. In February 2016, France became the first country to institute this ban, and it proved to be successful. Although there are other potentially viable solutions to limit environmental damage from food waste, such as composting and cutting back on production, we need to consider what is most ethical. Therefore, I believe that grocery stores should donate unsold food to charities that assist Americans suffering from food insecurity.

Brianna Quinn

Camden


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