The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, on Thursday released a report on food waste in the U.S.
Up to 40 percent of food in the U.S. is tossed out--most of it at home. The report estimates one fifth of all agricultural water, fertilizer and cropland produce food that ends up in the landfill.
But JoAnne Berkenkamp, senior advocate with the NRDC, says consumer awareness has improved thanks to tight wallets.
“The average family spends between $1500 and $1800 a year on food that we don’t eat," Berkenkamp says. "That’s a lot money.”
Berkenkamp says a combination of policy, business leadership and consumer education has helped curb food waste since the NRDC’s previous report in 2012.
