One-third of the United States is self-sufficient—but who will be responsible for waste?

Due to overproduction, under-appropriate appearance standards and logistics issues, the U.S. agricultural sector discards more than 36 billion pounds of agricultural products each year. Some pilot projects use data analytics, supply chain coordination and food banking collaboration to reduce waste. Its economic and environmental impacts include financial losses and greenhouse gas emissions. Experts advocate a “full harvest” approach that combines technology, policies and incentives to enhance food security and sustainability.