Food Waste In Canada
Ali Razack - Food Waste Infographic - GESC-151-VA1
I chose to explore and present the issue of food waste in Canada through this
infographic using simple visuals designed to appeal to a broad lay audience. I think
this issue is important because of the amount of food insecurity in Canada and the
scale of food wasted. Since this issue is complicated, I tried to condense the most
critical data into a clear, eye-catching layout. The layout emphasizes clarity and flow,
moving from the source of the problem to its scale, to its cause, and finally to
actionable solutions.
The statistic “Canada wastes nearly 11 million tonnes of food each year”
(Second Harvest 2024). While the statistics that represent the amount of waste
generated in households, restaurants, and retail environments allow the audience to
relate to the issues and understand that they have a role in the problem. They also
demonstrate that 47% of the food wasted is wasted by people in their own homes
(Second Harvest, 2024). This allows people to understand that they are the direct
cause of almost half of the food waste in Canada. By providing simple and
actionable solutions at every level, from the home all the way to the government. My
infographic shows that while the scale of the problem may appear overwhelming,
small daily choices can help to solve it. Infographics like this make sustainability
data approachable for the public while guiding decision-makers toward smarter
waste-reduction policies.
In the future, I want to use infographics to present other complex
environmental and economic problems, like water waste, to broader audiences. I
think this format is a great way to present information to my generation, who have
very short attention spans and can quickly help them understand complex issues.
They could also be useful in the corporate world. Infographics are very similar to the
data-driven reports we create for meetings. I believe that as businesses start to
focus on ESG and environmental responsibility, infographics like this can play an
essential role in helping stakeholders connect statistics and vague issues they may
have heard of but never paid much attention to.
Reference List
Canada. (2019, June 28). Taking stock: Reducing food loss and waste in Canada.
Government of Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-red
ucing-waste/food-loss-waste/taking-stock.html
Consumer Goods Technology. (2013). ERP evolution at Silver Spring Foods.
https://consumergoods.com/erp-evolution-silver-spring-foods
Canada Revenue Agency. (2024). Gifts and income tax 2024. Government of
Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publicati
ons/p113/p113-gifts-income-tax.html
Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). From farm to kitchen: The environmental
impacts of U.S. food waste.
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/from-farm-to-kitchen-theenvironmental-impacts-of-u.s.-food-waste_508-tagged.pdf
Fawcett-Atkinson, M. (2024, January 26). Why banning food waste is harder than
you might think. National Observer.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/01/26/news/explainer-banning-food-wa
ste-grocery-stores-compost-france-sustainability
Flesher, J. (2023). Feeding the future: How ESG is shaping the food & beverage
sector. Nossa Data.
https://www.nossadata.com/blog/feeding-the-future-how-esg-is-shaping-the-foo
d-beverage-sector
Ontario. (2019). Ontario’s food and organic waste framework: Action plan.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/food-and-organic-waste-framework
Proof. (2024). New data on household food insecurity in 2023. University of Toronto.
https://proof.utoronto.ca/2024/new-data-on-household-food-insecurity-in-2023/
Sahaer, N. (2022). Food waste in Canada. Youth in Food Systems.
https://seeds.ca/schoolfoodgardens/food-waste-in-canada-3/
Second Harvest. (2024a). A new report from Second Harvest reveals Canada's $58
billion food waste problem.
https://www.secondharvest.ca/post/new-report-from-second-harvest-reveals-ca
nadas-58-billion-food-waste-problem
Second Harvest. (2024b). The avoidable crisis of food waste: Update.
https://www.secondharvest.ca/research/avoidable-crisis-updated
Taste Before You Waste. (2019). The social impact of food waste.
https://www.tastebeforeyouwaste.org/post/the-social-impact-of-food-waste
Uppal, S. (2023). Food insecurity among Canadian families. Statistics Canada.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00013-eng.htm