Four billion tons of food wasted each year

The world wastes half the food it produces.

That is the shocking information found in a report from the British-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers, as reported by CNN.

The report highlights inefficiencies in developing countries, such as problems with transportation and storage, and market and consumer waste in more advanced countries.

"Major supermarkets, in meeting consumer expectations, will often reject entire crops of perfectly edible fruit and vegetables at the farm because they do not meet exacting marketing standards for their physical characteristics, such as size and appearance," the British study said.

In Britain, up to 30 percent of vegetable crops are never harvested.

Overall about 4.4 billion tons of food is produced world-wide each year.

To read the full report: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/world/world-food-waste/index.html