ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the methodology behind the Economic Research Service (ERS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) food loss/waste estimates, outlines the scope of the data, and provides the most recent food loss and waste estimates from both agencies. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA's) ERS calculates food loss at various points of the supply chain, and the EPA calculates waste. The Food Availability (FA) series uses a balance sheet approach, which compiles and compares national supply and uses for each covered commodity. The Loss Adjusted FA data provides a yearly estimate of loss-adjusted FA. The EPA publishes annual national estimates of how much food waste is generated, composted, landfilled, and combusted with energy recovery. The EPA subtracts the estimate of food waste composted from the estimate of food waste generated. The chapter concludes by describing each agency’s efforts to improve the methodology, data, and assumptions behind the loss and waste estimates.
