Waste not want not: Building a better food chain

Across Canada, about a third of the food we produce is never consumed

According to Martin Gooch, an Ontario-based researcher who has done the most comprehensive study of food waste in the country, the price tag of these sandwiches, squash and Caesar salads—lost to the landfills—sits at about $32 billion annually. Consumers are responsible for about half of that amount, but businesses across the food chain—from farm to plate—also have immensely wasteful habits. “Waste is money,” says Gooch. “Every time you throw something in a bin, consider it to be a hundred dollar note.” 

While many businesses are failing to address the problem, there are others who notice every bread crust tossed in the trash—including the five profiled here.