NPR.org

By now, you probably know that Americans waste a lot of food.

Each year, an estimated 133 billion pounds of food that farmers grow never makes it to our plates. That's enough to fill 44 skyscrapers. And tons of it ends up in landfills, where it emits methane, a greenhouse gas.

The Obama administration has set a goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2030. And, as we've reported, there are lots of efforts underway — from sales of ugly produce to the EPA's Food Recovery Challenge, aimed at diverting excess food from landfills to hungry mouths and other uses, like composting. Even religious groups are joining the battle against food waste.

But, what's been lacking is a comprehensive plan to identify the most cost-effective approaches.

Now, a new data-driven road map to reduce food waste aims to fill the void. The road map is the creation of a big group of collaborators — including food businesses, environmentalists, anti-hunger organizations, policymakers and investors.

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