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Waste

Uncovering the Global Food Scandal
ksoles
Jun 20, 2011ksoles rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
According to Tristram Stuart, a staggering half of the world's food ends up wasted due to spoilage, crop disease or over-consumption. Additionally, the U.N. has predicted that agriculture will decline by 25% this century while the world's population will grow from 6.8 billion to 8.9 billion by 2050. All of this spells disaster for the availability of food on the planet. "Waste" academically and sometimes tediously describes the causes of waste all along the food chain, from fishermen who throw back undersized catches (most die) to food retailers who overstock for aesthetic purposes. To combat such waste, Stuart looks to other cultures, mostly Asian, for inspiration. He suggests micro-loans to provide farmers with rat-proof storage, selling "imperfect" produce to caterers and outlawing the killing of sharks for their fins. Stuart discusses a fascinating and extremely relevant topic; despite some limited data and obvious remedies, he presents an energetic and heavily researched look at a global crisis.