Carinna Baird
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Danielle Todd
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Make Food Not Waste / NonUM
Program: UROP
Session: Session 1 (9:00am – 9:50am)
Authors: Carinna Baird , Danielle Todd
Abstract
One-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world can be attributed to food, whether that be in production, transportation, processing, or waste. Despite this high cost, approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted or lost at some point in the supply chain. In accordance with Governor Whitmer’s Healthy Climate Plan, the state government offered a grant to selected Michigan businesses, associations, and nonprofit organizations to work together in creating a recommended roadmap that state legislators can use in food waste reduction to meet the 50% carbon reduction by 2030. The Roadmap Project group researched and conducted interviews with key stakeholders in the farming, manufacturing, retail, and foodservice industries to identify barriers and opportunities for food waste reduction across sectors. Analysis of this research and qualitative interviews revealed that the state government had many opportunities to incentivize food waste reduction across industries through tax credits and grants for innovative food waste methods and technologies, as well as removing existing barriers such as restricted sale after food label date. Food waste reduction, prevention, and diversion is a highly actionable and rewarding area of addressing the climate crisis, as it is a waste of our limited resources, time, labor, and a large source of methane emissions from food rotting in landfills.
