Book review: Waste, uncovering the global food scandal^*

Author: Louis S. Hesler

Received 28 January 2010, accepted 4 April 2010.

Abstract

Over 6.5 billion people inhabit Earth and roughly 1 billion regularly go hungry. The challenge to feed the world’s inhabitants is jeopardizing its soil, water and climate. Could curbing food waste significantly reduce world hunger and environmental pressures? Tristram Stuart argues cogently that it could. Waste details the global food-waste scandal and delves into questions such as how much food is available globally? How much is needed and used and how much is wasted? It is perhaps best to start with how much food is needed and how much is available, although Stuart does not discuss these topics directly until Chapters 11 and 12. Minimum daily energy requirements (MDER) are between 1900 and 2000 kcal per person per day, based on populations in western countries (p. 174). Supplying a population with 130% of its MDER is believed to provide an adequate buffer against food shortages and anything significantly above 130% has a good chance of ending up as waste (p. 191). Thus, around 2600 kcal per person per day is deemed adequate.

Key words: Food, health, chemicals, environment, postharvest, Tristram Stuart.