Some issues in the ethics of food waste

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Author(s)
Bender, Kathryn E.
Roe, Brian E.
Qi, Danyi
Date Issued
March 6, 2020
Abstract
It is estimated that nearly one-third of food produced on the planet never meets its intended purpose of human nourishment. This represents a substantial stock of resources available for reallocation. Any potential reallocation of resources raises ethical issues – who should sacrifice (change current behaviors), who should benefit, and what methods are appropriate to induce the behavioral change required to invoke the reallocation? In this brief article, we will discuss several topics in the food waste literature that, in our opinion, raise ethical issues that warrant further thought and consideration. These include the emphasis on food donation as a means to reduce food waste, the emergence of markets for food with cosmetic imperfection (i.e., “ugly food”), the appropriateness of guilt appeals to motivate reductions in wasted food, and the ethical tensions in choosing dates on food labels.
Journal
Physiology & Behavior
Department
Economics
Citation
Roe, B. E., Qi, D., & Bender, K. E. (2020). Some issues in the ethics of food waste. Physiology & Behavior, 219, 112860. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112860
Publisher
Elsevier
Version of Article
Published article
Embargo
This version of the article is available for viewing to the public after March 6, 2021.
DOI
10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112860
ISSN
0031-9384
Rights
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Subjects

Food waste

Ethics

Ugly food

Food donation

Date labels

Guilt

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