IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v7y2015i4p4707-4726d48497.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rescuing Food from the Organics Waste Stream to Feed the Food Insecure: An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Australian Food Rescue Operations Using Environmentally Extended Waste Input-Output Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Christian John Reynolds

    (Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

  • Julia Piantadosi

    (Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

  • John Boland

    (Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia)

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the economic and environmental efficiency of charities and NGO’s “rescuing” food waste, using a 2008 case study of food rescue organisations in Australia. We quantify the tonnages, costs, and environmental impact of food rescued, and then compare food rescue to other food waste disposal methods composting and landfill. To our knowledge this is the first manuscript to comprehend the psychical flows of charity within an Input-Output framework—treating the charity donations as a waste product. We found that 18,105 tonnes of food waste was rescued, and calculate that food rescue operations generate approximately six kilograms of food waste per tonne of food rescued, at a cost of US$222 per tonne of food rescued. This a lower cost than purchasing a tonne of comparable edible food at market value. We also found that per US dollar spent on food rescue, edible food to the value of US$5.71 (1863 calories) was rescued. Likewise, every US dollar spent on food rescue redirected food that represented 6.6 m 3 of embodied water, 40.13 MJ of embodied energy, and 7.5 kilograms of embodied greenhouse gasses (CO 2 equivalents) from being sent to landfill or composting, and into mouths of the food insecure. We find that food rescue—though more economically costly than landfill or composting—is a lower cost method of obtaining food for the food insecure than direct purchasing.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian John Reynolds & Julia Piantadosi & John Boland, 2015. "Rescuing Food from the Organics Waste Stream to Feed the Food Insecure: An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Australian Food Rescue Operations Using Environmentally Extended Waste Input-Output ," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:4:p:4707-4726:d:48497
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/4/4707/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/4/4707/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reynolds, Christian John & Piantadosi, Julia & Buckley, Jonathan David & Weinstein, Philip & Boland, John, 2015. "Evaluation of the environmental impact of weekly food consumption in different socio-economic households in Australia using environmentally extended input–output analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 58-64.
    2. Lenzen, Manfred & Bhaduri, Anik & Moran, Daniel & Kanemoto, Keiichiro & Bekchanov, Maksud & Geschke, Arne & Foran, Barney, 2012. "The role of scarcity in global virtual water flows," Discussion Papers 133478, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    3. Mary Griffin & Jeffery Sobal & Thomas Lyson, 2009. "An analysis of a community food waste stream," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 26(1), pages 67-81, March.
    4. Senay Solak & Christina Scherrer & Ahmed Ghoniem, 2014. "The stop-and-drop problem in nonprofit food distribution networks," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 221(1), pages 407-426, October.
    5. Youn, Andrew & Ollinger, Michael & Kantor, Linda Scott, 1999. "Characteristics of Mid-Atlantic Food Banks and Food Rescue Organizations," Food Review/ National Food Review, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, vol. 22(1), January.
    6. Tarasuk, Valerie & Eakin, Joan M., 2003. "Charitable food assistance as symbolic gesture: an ethnographic study of food banks in Ontario," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1505-1515, April.
    7. Caleb Phillips & Rhonda Hoenigman & Becky Higbee & Tom Reed, 2013. "Understanding the Sustainability of Retail Food Recovery," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(10), pages 1-9, October.
    8. Valerie Tarasuk & Joan Eakin, 2005. "Food assistance through “surplus” food: Insights from an ethnographic study of food bank work," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(2), pages 177-186, June.
    9. Shinichiro Nakamura & Yasushi Kondo, 2002. "Input‐Output Analysis of Waste Management," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 6(1), pages 39-63, January.
    10. Christian Reynolds & Julia Piantadosi & John Boland, 2014. "A Waste Supply-Use Analysis of Australian Waste Flows," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 3(1), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Hanjra, Munir A. & Qureshi, M. Ejaz, 2010. "Global water crisis and future food security in an era of climate change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 365-377, October.
    12. Manfred Lenzen & Christian John Reynolds, 2014. "A Supply-Use Approach to Waste Input-Output Analysis," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 18(2), pages 212-226, April.
    13. Manfred Lenzen & Daniel Moran & Keiichiro Kanemoto & Arne Geschke, 2013. "Building Eora: A Global Multi-Region Input-Output Database At High Country And Sector Resolution," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 20-49, March.
    14. Christian Lager, 1998. "Prices of Goods' and 'Bads': An Application of the Ricardian Theory of Differential Rent," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 203-223.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samantha To & Courtney Coughenour & Jennifer Pharr, 2019. "The Environmental Impact and Formation of Meals from the Pilot Year of a Las Vegas Convention Food Rescue Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-10, May.
    2. Danilo Bertoni & Daniele Cavicchioli & Franco Donzelli & Giovanni Ferrazzi & Dario G. Frisio & Roberto Pretolani & Elena Claire Ricci & Vera Ventura, 2018. "Recent Contributions of Agricultural Economics Research in the Field of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Christian John Reynolds & Miranda Mirosa & Brent Clothier, 2016. "New Zealand’s Food Waste: Estimating the Tonnes, Value, Calories and Resources Wasted," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Amelie A. Hecht & Roni A. Neff, 2019. "Food Rescue Intervention Evaluations: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Anne Nogueira & Fátima Alves & Paula Vaz-Fernandes, 2021. "The Nutritional Content of Rescued Food Conveyed by a Food Aid Organization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-14, November.
    6. Lesia Kinach & Kate Parizeau & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2020. "Do food donation tax credits for farmers address food loss/waste and food insecurity? A case study from Ontario," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(2), pages 383-396, June.
    7. Matteo Vittuari & Fabio De Menna & Silvia Gaiani & Luca Falasconi & Alessandro Politano & Jana Dietershagen & Andrea Segrè, 2017. "The Second Life of Food: An Assessment of the Social Impact of Food Redistribution Activities in Emilia Romagna, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    8. Elisha Vlaholias & Kirrilly Thompson & Danielle Every & Drew Dawson, 2015. "Charity Starts … at Work? Conceptual Foundations for Research with Businesses that Donate to Food Redistribution Organisations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-25, June.
    9. Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Input-output models and waste management analysis: A critical review," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/359535, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Thyberg, Krista L. & Tonjes, David J., 2016. "Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 110-123.
    11. Sabrina Rondeau & Sara M. Stricker & Chantel Kozachenko & Kate Parizeau, 2020. "Understanding Motivations for Volunteering in Food Insecurity and Food Upcycling Projects," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-17, March.
    12. Glenn A. Aguilar-Hernandez & Carlos Pablo Sigüenza-Sanchez & Franco Donati & João F. D. Rodrigues & Arnold Tukker, 2018. "Assessing circularity interventions: a review of EEIOA-based studies," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-24, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christian John Reynolds & Miranda Mirosa & Brent Clothier, 2016. "New Zealand’s Food Waste: Estimating the Tonnes, Value, Calories and Resources Wasted," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Thomas Wiedmann, 2017. "An input–output virtual laboratory in practice – survey of uptake, usage and applications of the first operational IELab," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 296-312, April.
    3. Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Input-output models and waste management analysis: A critical review," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/359535, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Garrone, Paola & Melacini, Marco & Perego, Alessandro, 2014. "Opening the black box of food waste reduction," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 129-139.
    5. Vanessa Zeller & Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Marc Degrez & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Urban waste flows and their potential for a circular economy model at city-region level," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/278528, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Reynolds, Christian John & Piantadosi, Julia & Buckley, Jonathan David & Weinstein, Philip & Boland, John, 2015. "Evaluation of the environmental impact of weekly food consumption in different socio-economic households in Australia using environmentally extended input–output analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 58-64.
    7. Pérez, Eduardo & Marthak, Yash V. & Méndez Mediavilla, Francis A., 2023. "Analysis and forecast of donations at domestic hunger relief organizations impacted by natural disasters," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    8. Garthwaite, K.A. & Collins, P.J. & Bambra, C., 2015. "Food for thought: An ethnographic study of negotiating ill health and food insecurity in a UK foodbank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 38-44.
    9. Rombach, Meike & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Sector blending: evidence from the German Food Bank," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(2), March.
    10. Mahmoudi, Monirehalsadat & Shirzad, Khadijeh & Verter, Vedat, 2022. "Decision support models for managing food aid supply chains: A systematic literature review," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PB).
    11. Lesia Kinach & Kate Parizeau & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2020. "Do food donation tax credits for farmers address food loss/waste and food insecurity? A case study from Ontario," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(2), pages 383-396, June.
    12. Lynn McIntyre & Danielle Tougas & Krista Rondeau & Catherine L. Mah, 2016. "“In”-sights about food banks from a critical interpretive synthesis of the academic literature," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(4), pages 843-859, December.
    13. Kelsey D. Meagher & Anne Gillman & David C. Campbell & Edward S. Spang, 2020. "Relational and Logistical Dimensions of Agricultural Food Recovery: Evidence from California Growers and Recovery Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, July.
    14. Shigemi Kagawa & Seiji Hashimoto & Shunsuke Managi, 2015. "Special issue: studies on industrial ecology," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 17(3), pages 361-368, July.
    15. Darian McBain & Ali Alsamawi, 2014. "Quantitative accounting for social economic indicators," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(3), pages 193-202, August.
    16. Makiko Tsukui & Shigemi Kagawa & Yasushi Kondo, 2015. "Measuring the waste footprint of cities in Japan: an interregional waste input–output analysis," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 4(1), pages 1-24, December.
    17. Davis, Lauren B. & Jiang, Steven X. & Morgan, Shona D. & Nuamah, Isaac A. & Terry, Jessica R., 2016. "Analysis and prediction of food donation behavior for a domestic hunger relief organization," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 26-37.
    18. Akkerman, Renzo & Buisman, Marjolein & Cruijssen, Frans & de Leeuw, Sander & Haijema, Rene, 2023. "Dealing with donations: Supply chain management challenges for food banks," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    19. Maxime Agez & Guillaume Majeau‐Bettez & Manuele Margni & Anders H. Strømman & Réjean Samson, 2020. "Lifting the veil on the correction of double counting incidents in hybrid life cycle assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(3), pages 517-533, June.
    20. Hasegawa Ryoji & Hirofumi Nakayama & Takayuki Shimoaka, 2017. "Analyzing material flow and value added associated with non-metallic mineral wastes in Japan," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 6(1), pages 1-15, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:4:p:4707-4726:d:48497. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.