The Paradox of

Food Poverty & Food Waste:

a Public Health Opportunity

Úna Clarke MPHKitchen Economics

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Food Waste is …

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Food Waste/Loss in the Food Supply Chain

Sources: Godfray et al., (2010) Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People Science 327:812-818FAO (2011) Global food losses and food waste. Extent Causes and prevention FAO, Rome

Make up of total food waste in developed and developing countries. Retail, food service and home and municipal categories are combined for developing countries.

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$252Bn

Source: Dobbs et al., (2011) Resource Revolution Meeting the world’s energy, materials, food and water needs McKinsey Global Institute

Food Waste is Wasted Resources

Source: FAO (2011) Food wastage footprint. Impacts on natural resources FAO, Rome

Amounts of Food & Drink Waste, split by food group and by reason, UK 2012

Source: Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) (2013) Household Food and Drink Waste in the United Kingdom 2012 Final Report

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Association between F&V consumption and Cancer or CVD-specific mortality

Source: Oyebode O, Gordon-Dseagu V, Walker A et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and all-cause, cancer and CVD mortality: analysis of Health Survey for England data J Epidemiol Community Healthy 31.3.14

In 2012 more than 13 billion F&V portions were wasted in the UK, enough to provide more than 7 million people with their ‘5 a day’ for a year. WRAP (2013)

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Food Waste Reduction Strategies USA 1943 UK 2007

Food knowledge Food Skills ΔBehaviour

1. Read Labels 2. Chill/ freeze 3. Use store cupboard4. Plan meals5. Portion control6. Use leftovers

Credit: Maine Historical Society www.lovefoodhatewaste

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Difficulty in Accessing Basic Services RoI, 2007Grocery Banking Postal Public Transport GP

% % % % %

State 12 22 16 26 19

Age (Head of Household)65+ 23 34 26 35 29

Principal Economic Status (HoH)Home duties 20 31 21 32 27

Retired 19 31 24 33 26

Not work Disability

25 36 26 33 26

Highest Education Attained (HoH)Primary 21 32 24 36 27

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Source: CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions Housing Module 2007

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Effects of the recession on 13-year-olds’ families, Growing Up in Ireland 2012

Source: GUI The Family and Financial Circumstances of 13 year olds November 2012 Child Cohort

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Inadequacy of Housing Facilities RoI, 2007Shortage of Space

Inadequate Electrical

Installation

Inadequate Plumbing

Installation

Not equipped

with heating

Not comfortably

warm in winter

Not comfortably

cool in summer

% % % % % %

State 18 9 6 2 4 8

Dwelling type

Apartment/Bedsit

44 12 12 11 9 10

Tenure Status

Market rental

31 10 7 6 8 5

<Market rental

22 19 13 3 14 12

Source: CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions Housing Module 2007

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Public Health Opportunity in Food Waste

• Data: Food Waste ≈ SLÁN/HSNI ≈ HBS/LCFSNI

• Chronic Co-morbidities: Food Waste ≈ Health status

• Healthy Eating Guidelines: Fear of Food Waste

• Public Health Role in Reducing Food Waste: Upstream Interventions

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NUTRITION

FOOD SKILLS

HOUSE-HOLD

BUDGET

LOCAL FOOD

ECONOMY

FOOD SAFETY

ENVIRON-MENT

FOOD CULTURE

Food Waste

Policy & Programmes

Health Determinants

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Food Waste - a Public Health issue

Thank you

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she

served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been

found” Calvin Trillin

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unaclarke (at) eircom.net Úna Clarke