This article was first published in the March 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Figures from The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) suggest that one third of all the food grown -- 1.3 billion tonnes -- never gets eaten. Instead, it rots in landfills, spewing out methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. "We are extracting -- then wasting -- natural resources," says Camelia Bucatariu, policy consultant for the FAO.
With the UN expecting the global population to reach 9.15 billion by 2050, the pressure is on to make the most of what we grow. "Food waste is becoming a priority," says Bucatariu. The path from farm to fork is broken. That's where startups come in to fix the food chain.
1. THE FARM
VitalFields helps arable farmers manage crops by tracking weather patterns and activities such as crop spraying. The Estonian startup claims it can even calculate if a field will be hit by disease.
Agrilyst provides real-time analytics for farmers growing vegetables in greenhouses and polytunnels, aimed at boosting crop yields. The US startup claims it can cut energy costs by 20 per cent.
Irish startup FoodCloud began by providing a charity with unsold food from a farmers' market in 2012. Nearly four years on, it brokers meetings between supermarkets, shops and 387 charities.
German app FoodLoop sends push notifications on behalf of supermarket chains, such as PlusFresc in Catalonia, telling its subscribers what products have been reduced as sell-by dates come up.
US restaurants can use the Food Cowboy app to let non-profits access any surplus food. Since 2013, more than 1,000 truck drivers have shifted in excess of 230 tonnes of excess edibles.
Winnow cuts kitchen waste by tracking what chefs throw away. Recorded on a touchscreen, the data enables behavioural change. The firm claims to have saved 150 restaurants nearly £2 million.
OLIO, a free app launched in June 2014, lets Londoners list surplus food items they have at home. More than 1,000 items were posted online in the app's first four months -- viewed by nearly 10,000 users.
Love Food Hate Waste, an app from UK recycling charity WRAP, helps users plan meals with what they have in their cupboards. Five supermarkets have signed up to the scheme.
The United Nations World Food Programme's ShareTheMeal app lets users donate a 50¢ (35p) meal to a hungry child as often as they like. Sometimes you need to share, as well as save.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
