Public Health, Safety, And The Environment - 750 Words

Since there is such a large amount of food waste, where does it go? Although not all food waste ends up in landfills, there is a large amount that does. Studies show that â€Å"food wastage in 2007 represented the production of 1.4 billion hectares of land, equal to about 30 % of the world’s agricultural land area, and larger than the surface of Canada† (â€Å"Global Food Wastage†). With landfills taking up such a large percentage of land, there is less land for farmers, housing, and other resources. Landfills also give off multiple dangerous chemicals. For example, landfills give off greenhouse gases, dioxins, furans, and mercury (â€Å"Public Health, Safety, and the Environment†). Landfills are also a severe cause of deforestation. Also, landfills take†¦show more content†¦An example would be the rise in the migration to urban areas and rapid changes in what foods are wanted by consumers. As people begin to move into urban areas, the amount of f armers and help begin decreasing. Research has proven that the popularity for urban environments is in a constant rise. Sadly, recent observations have concluded that â€Å"the proportion of the world’s population employed in agriculture has declined in recent decades and 50 per cent of the world’s population now lives in urban environments. This proportion is expected to rise to 70 per cent by 2050† (Parfitt et al., â€Å"Food Waste within Food Supply Chains†). Being in shape or skinny has been important for many years. Seventy-seven percent of America’s population is trying to lose or maintain their weight (â€Å"Americans Concerned about Their Weight†). A fad diet is a popular diet that usually known for success. Fad diets usually change the foods consumed by the dieter. As the fads change, so does the demand for different types of food. As the demand for one food item increases, the demand of others decrease. Due to the constant changes, it is extremely difficult for farmers to plan what they need to grow. As farmers fail to predict the amount of crops needed, the extra food is more likely to become waste. As the predictability changes, farmers cannot make profit. This also leads to the decline of farms.