Food Waste

There is no clear description regarding food waste in a universal matter either historically or presently, making it perplexing in definition and comparison. What is clear is that food waste continues to grow at a rapid pace with the expansion of a world population experiencing societal and agricultural developments in an era where land and other resources are becoming more limited. The increase in waste and category of foods which people throw away has transformed with time through the advancement and evolving of varying cultures. The French labeled “Garbage” specifically as food waste and later broadened the term in applying to refuse in general. The first hunter-gatherer societies picked and killed what they needed to survive, wasting nothing more than animal bones. More than 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic-Revolution gave way to the first cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. Food supply was limited and strenuous work; consequently waste would have been non-existent and contemptible. The first weeding, watering, collecting and seed planting farmers are traced back to roughly 8,000 B.C. The same time period included the introduction of penning animals to be slaughtered and eaten when necessary. Food became more abundant and attainable, but was hardly taken for granted or heedlessly disposed of. American Indians were known for their resourcefully respective nature in dealing with the wildlife available to them. How disheartening it must have been to witness European settlers carelessly skilling the buffalo for game and wasting its nourishing value. When agriculture was erected, it brought more food to the table and in turn, created much more to be thrown away. Agriculture later became industrialized and waste from organic produce spiked due to the development of food processing. Most importantly, the world is forever growing and an increased population certainly means more food is distributed, eaten, and thrown away by more people. The history