In the land of abundance, hunger still haunts millions. It’s a paradox that plays out every day across the United States—where fresh produce is tossed in dumpsters behind grocery stores, edible crops are left to rot in the fields, and uneaten meals pile up in kitchen trash bins. All the while, over 44 million Americans, including 13 million children, struggle with food insecurity. At Feed America, we believe that solving hunger in this country isn't only about providing food—it's also about transforming the systems that waste it.
The numbers are staggering. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, between 30% and 40% of the nation’s food supply is wasted every year. That adds up to around 133 billion pounds of food—enough to fill the Empire State Building nearly 90 times over. This isn’t just a household issue, either. Food waste happens at every step in the supply chain:
What makes this even more painful is that so much of this wasted food is perfectly safe and nutritious.
Behind every uneaten apple or discarded loaf of bread is a missed opportunity to feed someone in need. As outlined in the USDA’s 2024 Food Security Report, food insecurity continues to impact millions of Americans—many of whom are children, seniors, and working families who simply can’t afford enough to eat. This isn’t just a matter of charity. It’s about justice, dignity, and the right to basic nourishment.
If we could redirect even a fraction of the food currently being discarded, we could ease the burden of hunger across the country. Yet the logistical, legal, and cultural barriers to doing so remain high.
It’s easy to overlook food waste—it disappears quickly, buried in trash bags or compost bins. But its impact doesn’t vanish. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that food waste is the single largest category of material in landfills, accounting for nearly 24% of all municipal solid waste. As it decomposes, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide, exacerbating climate change and harming the very communities most vulnerable to food insecurity.
When good food ends up in the trash, so does everything that went into producing it: water, energy, land, and labor. What we throw away is more than a missed meal—it’s a resource drained from our environment and our economy.
To understand the roots of food waste, we have to look beyond the kitchen trash can. Much of the loss happens long before food reaches our homes—often in ways that are deeply embedded in the structure of our food system.
On farms, market conditions can make it economically unfeasible to harvest a full crop. If the cost of labor or transport outweighs the sale price, farmers may leave produce in the fields to rot. At distribution centers and grocery stores, products are rejected for being too “ugly”—twisted carrots, blemished apples, slightly off-sized squash. Though perfectly edible, they don't meet retail standards for appearance, and so they’re discarded.
Even when retailers want to donate excess food, many are deterred by concerns over liability or the cost of transporting perishable goods. Food banks and community pantries often lack the infrastructure—like reliable cold storage or timely transportation—to accept large volumes of fresh food on short notice. The result? Food that could nourish families instead decomposes in dumpsters.
The cost of this waste is more than emotional—it’s economic and ecological. According to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, food waste in the United States costs approximately $218 billion annually. That includes wasted labor, fuel, water, and all the resources that go into growing, processing, and transporting food that never gets eaten.
Environmentally, the impact is massive. Each pound of wasted food contributes to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. When that food ends up in landfills, it breaks down without oxygen, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, according to the EPA.
Ironically, the communities hit hardest by climate change—low-income families, rural areas, and urban food deserts—are also those most likely to experience food insecurity. Food waste, in this way, compounds the very problems that Feed America works to address every day.
Food waste is not just a matter of bad habits—it’s built into the policies that govern our food system. For instance, there is currently no federally mandated standard for date labeling on food, which leads to widespread confusion. Labels like “best by,” “use by,” or “sell by” are often not indicators of food safety, but rather manufacturer suggestions for peak freshness. As a result, consumers and retailers throw away millions of pounds of food that’s still safe to eat.
On top of that, tax incentives for food donations are inconsistent across states, and many businesses remain unaware of the protections offered by laws like the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which shields donors from liability when food is given in good faith.
While the scale of food waste is daunting, the solutions are within reach. Across the country, innovative thinkers, public officials, and local organizations are reimagining the way we produce, distribute, and consume food—ensuring that more of it reaches people instead of landfills.
New technologies are helping bridge the gap between surplus and scarcity. Apps like Too Good To Go allow restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores to offer unsold items to consumers at discounted prices. Platforms like Spoiler Alert and ReFED work on the back end, helping companies track waste and redirect surplus to nonprofits or secondary markets.
Some cities are piloting municipal composting programs and encouraging food scrap recycling, while others are investing in “food hubs”—local aggregation points that streamline the collection and distribution of surplus goods. States like California have implemented mandatory organics recycling laws, aiming to divert food waste from landfills entirely.
These efforts are gaining momentum, but we need broader support to make systemic change.
To truly address food waste at the national level, we need a multi-pronged approach:
Every step taken to reduce waste strengthens our food system and makes it more equitable for everyone.
Hunger in America isn’t just about a lack of food—it’s about the barriers that prevent food from reaching the people who need it. Wasted food represents wasted opportunity, wasted compassion, and wasted potential.
At Feed America, we’re committed to advocating for sustainable food systems that nourish people and protect the planet. By supporting food recovery efforts, raising awareness, and pushing for smarter policy, we’re working toward a future where no good food goes to waste—and no person goes hungry.
Together, we can transform the way America eats, shops, and shares—one meal, one law, and one community at a time.
