The Daily Cost of Food Waste

According to Zach Conrad, "Poor diet is now the leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the US, accounting for over 14% of disability-adjusted life-years and over 500 thousand deaths per year. At the same time, the average American wastes about one pound of food every day, including large amounts of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. There is an urgent need to better understand the daily cost of consumer food waste in contemporary dollars, and to account for the important difference in food prices between foods purchased for at-home consumption and those purchased for consumption away from home. This information is needed to better understand opportunities to target consumer reductions in food waste so that individuals can have greater financial flexibility to purchase healthier foods while also reducing environmental impact."