Tasked with creating a solution to a “wicked problem” (a problem that has no clear solution and is dependent on many stakeholders) in GEOG 310, I chose to examine how date labelling practices contribute to food waste at the household level.
This paper was recently published in volume 12 (2017/2018) of Trail Six, UBC Geography’s undergraduate journal. To read the full paper, please click here to visit the Trail Six site.
ABSTRACT
Globally, one third of food produced for human consumption is wasted or lost. As the global population continues to rise, this level of food waste will be unsustainable as the need for food, water, and arable land will also increase. Food waste in the developed world occurs primarily at the household level and is exacerbated by consumer confusion surrounding date labelling practices, specifically the wording “best before.” The aim of this paper is to examine the factors that contribute to unclear date-labelling practices and how they can be changed to reduce waste. Owing to the large number of stakeholders involved in food labelling, this paper discusses how change can be enacted from the consumer level ahead of changes made at the federal level. As a starting point, public education campaigns in the form of art installations and print/digital media are suggested.
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