11-19-2017

No country produces food as efficiently as the United States, yet ironically, no nation wastes as much food as we do. Approximately 40 percent of the food grown and raised in the U.S. is wasted each year — either rotting on the way from the farm to our kitchens or simply being tossed out by consumers.

Though the food waste issue is nothing new, these two short videos from Yale Environment 360 are. They’re called Wasted, and they investigate the problem and potential solutions of food waste from the perspective of two countries handling it very differently.

In the first Wasted video, we look at the country wasting the most food — the U.S. Visiting Washington, D.C., we follow waste along the city’s food chain, meeting the people and organizations who are working to reduce and repurpose it.

In the second Wasted video, we look at the country recycling the most food — South Korea. While the United States has taken relatively minor steps to combat food waste, Seoul, South Korea, is making great strides to curb it.

Inspired to take action after watching these videos? Check out these tips to reduce food waste in your daily life.