Wasted! The Story of Food Waste

Type: Documentary

Director: Anna Chai, Nari Kye

Lead actor: Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, Anthony Bourdain, Danny Browien, John Morgan, Shinobu Namae, Tristram Stuart

Distribution year: 2017

Language: English

Wasted! is a documentary with a strong reflective connotation, made with the aim of raising awareness among viewers, confronting them with a scenario that demands attention. In fact, while the problem of global hunger still exists in a significant way, every year humanity wastes about 1.3 billion tons of food, with a total cost of $1 trillion.

The documentary addresses the problem of food waste by highlighting statistics: in the United States, 40 percent of produce for human consumption is thrown away and more than 90 percent ends up in landfills. There, food produces methane gas through an anaerobic process, contributing to air pollution with a potent greenhouse gas.

Chai and Kye, the documentary’s directors, take an in-depth look at the causes of waste while proposing possible concrete solutions. In doing so, they take the audience on a virtual journey across the world to discover the cuisine of recycling.

Through the eyes of celebrities such as star chefs and food activists, the documentary shows how all kinds of foods and resources can be made the most of. These figures, with their experience, skill and creativity, transform what is often considered “leftover” or “waste” into delicious, innovative and sustainable dishes.

The goal is also to demonstrate that anyone, even without special culinary skills, can help reduce food waste at the household level. In this way, a safer and more efficient food system can be built. The issue is examined through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) food pyramid model, which ranks the priority uses of food resources.

Finally, the documentary’s protagonists present the various possible uses of food-for example, as human food, livestock feed or compost-and discuss the measures taken by individuals, organizations and companies to promote a more sustainable system. At the same time, they acknowledge and denounce the problems present throughout the food supply chain, from production to disposal.

Watch the trailer here: