'Curious Conversations' podcast: Anna Zeide talks about the history of food waste

Anna Zeide joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the history of food waste in America and its impact on society and the environment. She shared insights related to several historical turning points and stressed that addressing food waste requires rethinking and integrating food security and waste management systems.

About Zeide

Zeide is an associate professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and founding director of the Food Studies Program. She studies food as a way of understanding environmental change, dynamic cultural practices, consumer behavior, technology, health, and justice.

Takeaways

• There have been many turning points in America’s history with food waste, including the rise of mass consumption in the Gilded Age, organized efforts to combat food waste during World Wars and the Great Depression, and agricultural policies in the 1970s that contributed to the surplus of cheap commodity crops.

• Individual actions, such as valuing leftovers, being critical of sell-by dates, and developing cooking skills, can help reduce food waste. 

• Reducing food waste can have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions and is a tangible area where individuals can make a difference in addressing environmental issues.

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About the podcast

"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech writer and editor Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.