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Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss A Workshop Summary (2015) / Chapter Skim
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6 Wrap-Up
Pages 119-126

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From page 119...
... , described some possible future actions for ERS that she said she gleaned from workshop discussions. STATEMENT OF HARRY DE GORTER ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING THE IMPLICATIONS OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE De Gorter identified three economic reasons for food loss and waste in a very broad general context.
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From page 120...
... In contrast to an extensive literature on the economics and environmental issues related to curbside fees and on taxing businesses for waste, including emissions, he observed that the literature on the cost of having too much or too little food is underdeveloped. De Gorter said the third economic reason is nonoptimizing agents, where behavioral economics is important.
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From page 121...
... There would be more food donations, secondary markets would develop, and more food would be used for animal feed, anaerobic digesters, and compost. De Gorter noted the economic literature on the benefit of taxing environmental externalities.
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From page 122...
... According to de Gorter, it is better if policies directed to food waste relate to the environment or natural resources policy. He said that there would be synergetic effects on food waste if policy dealt with market failures and improving infrastructure (transportation and cold storage for developing countries)
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From page 123...
... De Gorter noted most food loss occurs on the farm in developing countries, while most food loss is at the consumer level in developed countries. He asked how reducing waste in developed countries would help poor countries.
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From page 124...
... She noted research and development would have an effect in developing countries as well as in the United States. De Gorter responded that he thought Jensen was going to comment on a sociological component of the current process.
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From page 125...
... , particularly trying to identify commodities associated with imports and exports of processed or multi-ingredient products and incorporating them into the FADS system. • Estimating food at home versus food away from home using some of the data highlighted in Chapter 4.
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Key Terms

  • food loss
  • food availability
  • economic reasons
  • zero food
  • unharvested acres

  • gorter noted
  • farm level
  • economic reason
  • consumer level
  • cold storage

  • gorter described
  • economic framework
  • market failure
  • sound economic
  • market failures

  • credit constraints
  • supply chain
  • reduce hunger
  • food chain
  • food security

  • little food
  • food fed
  • gorter economic
  • estimating food
  • affect food

  • food diverted
  • banned food
  • food converted
  • nonedible food
  • throw food


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