MEAT+POULTRY - November 2015 - 72

M E AT- M I N D E D

When less is, indeed, more
Here's an alarming statistic: 30 percent of the food produced
in the world is lost or wasted, including 19 percent of meat
and poultry products. That's two of 10 fast-food hamburgers
or four of 20 pieces from a bucket of chicken.
If you ask Roger Norton, an economist at Texas A&M
Univ., that is too much.
"I was surprised by that figure - that's a lot of meat,"
Norton says of the number, reported by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
It is why Norton and other members of the agriculture
faculty at Texas A&M have formed a team to figure out
how to reduce global food loss and waste by 5 percent
Photo: Adobe Stock

In developed countries, where food
can be inexpensive, many people don't
think twice about throwing away a
third of the meat on their plates...
over the next decade. While a tremendous emphasis
has been placed on feeding the world among many
organizations, more emphasis needs to be placed on
controlling food loss and waste, especially considering the
increased growth in population, Norton says.
"We thought it was something we should do and
something that is overdue to," he adds.
Norton says the idea to reduce food loss and
waste stems from discussion among leaders in the 14
departments of Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and
Sciences. They believe the day will soon arrive when the
ways and means to grow and manufacture enough food to
feed the growing population will not exist.
"When you look at projections of food demand on a

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 11.15 | www.meatpoultry.com

world scale in coming decades, reducing food loss and
waste could be equivalent to increasing yields by a huge
amount," Norton explains.
Norton notes the difference between food loss and
food waste, explaining that food is lost when it becomes
unusable and is wasted when it is discarded but is still
usable. Norton believes controlling food loss and waste
"has been off the radar screen and doesn't receive the
emphasis it should."
In developing countries, including the US, Canada,
Europe and Asia, significant waste occurs around
consumption. "A lot of food in restaurants and households
is just thrown away," Norton says.
In developing countries, people can't afford to throw
out food, but it still gets wasted through inadequate
distribution and cold storage, particularly meat. "It also
happens in processing because facilities are not up to
standards," Norton adds.
Norton says a key to reducing food loss in developing
countries is improving relationships among the links in the
supply chain. A problem is that producers look at buyers as
adversaries, and the two entities often end up haggling over
price. They need to collaborate on more important issues,
such as processing and marketing strategies, quality issues
and appropriate livestock selection, Norton adds.
"These are the things that can be overcome with the
right investments and training. We see opportunities to
make improvements," Norton says.
In developed countries, where food can be
inexpensive, many people don't think twice about
throwing away a third of the meat on their plates,
mainly because it doesn't impact them financially. Also,
restaurants often serve too much meat for one person to
eat and much of it ends up in the trash.
"I think there is an educational issue there," Norton says.
"It's a question of raising awareness more than anything."
Since announcing the plan in May, Norton and other
team members have been discussing a plan of action
and proposals for funding, which will involve education,
training, market development and targeted investments to
address certain areas.
Norton recently read a story about how water
consumption has dropped dramatically in drought-stricken
California. "People are making an effort [to save water].
The point is that awareness has increased," Norton says.
That same awareness needs to occur regarding food
loss and waste, including loss and waste of meat, Norton
adds. The team at Texas A&M aims to ensure it does.
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MEAT+POULTRY - November 2015

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