Food Waste

We have discussed many issues surrounding food over the past fifteen weeks, from backyard chicken coops to organic certifications, but one thing that was not directly addressed was food waste.  We live in a country in which food is relatively cheap and available.  Portion sizes when eating out at restaurants are notoriously big.  A lot of food goes wasted.

There is a lot of discussion to be had as to the causes of this waste in the United States.  Is it because as a culture we identify ourselves with excess?  Is it simply because food is too cheap?  Does the current food production system thrive off of people buying larger than necessary quantities?  All are possible explanations for why so much food is wasted in America.  Apparently though, we are not the only ones with the problem. Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is a symbol for money and excess.  However, they are taking their own steps towards battling the food waste program.  Fancier restaurants have begun to charge per weight, rather than per dish.  In America, this is common at grocery stores or college salad bars, but would never be seen at a "nicer" restaurant.  Most places that offer food that is served in varying quantities tend to be of the "all-you-can-eat" variety.

In other places of the world, paying per weight of the item is not a new concept.  Brazil, and other South and Central American countries have plenty of vendors at which you decide how much to consume.  These types of restaurants are common in cafeterias or food courts-- instead of ordering items al-a-carte off of a menu, you simply fill up a plate with what you want and put it on a scale.

This may provide an interesting solution for those in the population that argue that "portions are too large in America, a large drink is half the size of McDonald's in other countries...", but does it really address the cause of our waste problem?  I think that this type of restaurant offering would have the opposite effect on diners such as me.  When ordering items off of a fast food menu, I oftentimes make tally them up in my head; "okay two dollar menu double cheeseburgers, one dollar menu fry, and a McFlurry".  I am not sure that I would be as conscious of what I am ordering if I just loaded up a plate.  Sure, it would cost more money to buy more food, but does it really change the culture of "our eyes are bigger than our stomachs."  Chances are food would still be cheap, but the ability to add up how much we would spending would become difficult.  I know that I do not have a good concept of how much tongs full of chicken fingers weigh... Charging per pound versus per item seems to make ordering food more of a guess-- I would guess I can eat a plateful of fried chicken, two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, and two biscuits, but when I go to a restaurant for lunch and order items off of a menu, I know EXACTLY how much I will eat.

It is an interesting concept, one attempted in good-intentions, but I think other measures are necessary to truly curb the problem of food waste.

EDIT: Food for thought: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that consumers in developed nations waste about 222 million tons of food a year. Sub-Saharan Africa's net food production was around 230 million tons last year.  In Canada and US, the average citizen wastes about 220 pounds per capita.