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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Valeria Kogan is the CEO of Fermata, a software-development company specializing in agriculture.</li><li>Her team develops AI tools to reduce crop loss that causes food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valeria Kogan, the founder and CEO of Fermata. The company develops software for monitoring plants and crops. The following has been edited for length and clarity.When we think about food waste, we usually think on the scale of not finishing our lunch. In reality, agricultural waste is a much bigger problem. An estimated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cabi.org/projects/global-burden-of-crop-loss/">20% to 40%</a> of crops are lost to pests and diseases, which affects our food systems and the planet; greenhouse-gas emissions from food that is never eaten account for <a target="_blank" href="https://ourworldindata.org/food-waste-emissions">6% of total emissions</a>.I knew none of this about five years ago. I was working in bioinformatics, developing an AI-based platform that assists oncologists in diagnosing cancer, and I knew so little about agriculture that I couldn't even keep a houseplant alive.But someone who ran a commercial greenhouse reached out to discuss how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-iot-technology-make-wine-sustainable-vineyard-practices-2024-3">AI could solve those crop-loss challenges</a>. I quickly saw the opportunity to translate my work in caring for human health into caring for plant health, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fermata.tech/">Fermata</a> was born.<h2 id="f06a4c78-ade3-45c1-bad9-cba49e234347">Using AI and computer vision where humans fail</h2>Right now, many farmers try to detect pests and diseases early by sending workers into the fields daily to look at every leaf on every plant for early signs of issues. But people get tired, get distracted, and overlook the tiny changes that suggest an issue.It reminded me of the specialists who review X-rays all day and miss early signs of cancer. We were using AI analysis of imagery to solve that problem, and I felt the same solution could apply here.Initially, we thought about building a robot that would move through the fields but realized we didn't have the expertise to achieve that — and that a simpler solution existed.We developed the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://croptimus.fermata.tech/">Croptimus platform</a>, which uses standard security cameras in greenhouses and fields to take pictures of every single plant several times a day.Our artificial intelligence processes these images to detect any abnormalities. If it does, it notifies farmers via our app and suggests what it thinks the issue is. Using data science, we can also provide an overview of what's going on in a facility at large, whether problems are increasing or decreasing, and whether treatments are working.With this technology, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/agtech-agriculture-industry-farming-methods-climate-change-labor-solutions-2023-9">farmers need less labor</a> and can identify issues sooner than they would with humans, meaning they can apply fewer pesticides. This saves a lot of money and helps produce more sustainable and healthy food.<div type="image" title="An interface shows Fermata software analyzing a leaf miner plant" height="785" width="1079" msid="113040962" hostid="261" sizebytes="54586"></div><h2 id="3d6dbcc8-bb64-4c3b-9ee3-7cb9fd45055b">Doing things manually while we build the dataset</h2>One of the biggest challenges we had to overcome was establishing ground truth to build a reliable dataset to train our models. Every agronomist, or crop scientist, has their own opinion and will make mistakes as well. We needed to not only compile a decent dataset from the ground up but also build machine-learning models that could adapt to mistakes.We did a few things to help. First, we built a research lab, where we grow plants, infest them with different things, and record them on videos. We also hired an in-house team of agronomists to help us label these images.Additionally, we launched our product to the public before it was automated, doing identifications manually and encouraging farmers on the app to give us feedback. This helps us better understand the problem and gives us a more robust dataset. Even as we've shifted to relying on AI for identification, this feedback loop helps us continually improve our models.<h2 id="3352e758-ad33-4e8b-830a-d008ed99432c">Building relationships to find future possibilities for the technology</h2>It's so important that any technologist trying to solve a problem in a new-to-them industry — especially more conservative fields like agriculture — stay humble and develop real relationships with the people they're hoping to help. If I marched in as a tech-industry outsider and told these farmers who have been doing this for decades that I could teach them how to operate and be more efficient, it wouldn't work.Instead, I work on building relationships and trust within the industry. I approach it from the perspective of wanting to learn from my customers and understand how my tech knowledge can help them.Ultimately, this has helped me see even more potential in what we're doing. I've learned that there's so much visual data in farming, from understanding whether bees are pollinating to seeing how employees are treating plants. The vision that Fermata has is to build a new visual-data layer in the agricultural industry that helps all stakeholders — from farmers to people who sell fertilizer to pesticide companies — be more efficient.

Crop loss is a huge problem for sustainability and food security. I'm using AI and computer vision to help fix it. 

Take a look inside a greenhouse on the rooftop of a Whole Foods in Brooklyn &mdash; reducing emissions and food waste

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some kitchens are turning to AI to monitor how much food they're wasting.</li><li>AI company Winnow tracks food waste going into the trash using a motion-sensor camera and scales.</li></ul>Hotels are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-garbage-food-waste-2024-4">reducing how much food they waste</a> at their breakfast buffets by installing AI-powered cameras above their kitchen trash cans.British company Winnow's hardware involves a scale that kitchens place a trash can on, as well as a screen with a motion-sensor camera. Its AI scans the items after they're placed in the trash — it can identify whether that was a bowl of carrot peelings, excess guacamole, or uneaten mashed potato — and the scale then records how much of that item was thrown away.Chefs and restaurant managers can see this data in real time.<div type="image" title="Photos showing a display screen and a scale provided by the AI company Winnow for tracking food waste" height="1200" width="1200" msid="111553879" hostid="261" sizebytes="22786"></div>The system "makes it really easy for us to gather accurate data on what's being wasted in these kitchens," Winnow cofounder Marc Zornes said, noting that the difficulty of collecting accurate recordings was the "biggest problem" many companies faced in tackling their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sell-by-best-before-dates-mean-nothing-create-food-waste-2024-3">food waste</a>."And it's important that you make this process easy because kitchens are very busy places," he said.Winnow then uses this data to advise chefs on buying the right amount of ingredients and how to prepare them to minimize waste.Zornes said that Winnow's accuracy at identifying foods "can vary from site to site.""If it knows what it is outright, it identifies the product," Zornes said. "If it doesn't know what it is and it thinks it's a couple of options, it can present that to the user, and they can help the system get better over time."<div type="image" title="A photo of a display screen from a Winnow scale. The screen shows a picture of french fries that have been placed in a trash can, as well as the weight, which is 722g." height="900" width="1200" msid="111553877" hostid="261" sizebytes="31994"></div>According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/food-waste-index-report-2024">United Nations Environmental Program</a>, 19% of food available to consumers globally — or more than 1.1 billion tons — was wasted in 2022. Of this, nearly 30% was wasted in the food service sector. Food loss in the supply chain and food waste generate almost five times the total greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector, per the UNEP.Reducing food waste can boost a company's eco credentials — and cut costs.Winnow's clients include hotels, cruise lines, universities, and food service companies that provide professional catering services.And it's not just back-of-house waste that they're tracking.In the Middle East, Hilton has been using Winnow to look at which items from its breakfast buffets are being wasted the most, Sebastian Nohse, Hilton EMEA's senior director of culinary, told BI.Breakfast buffets create "a really big chunk of waste that we in the hotel industry in general didn't really have clear insights about," he said.He said Hilton used data from Winnow to experiment with smaller croissants, fruit, and smoked salmon served in smaller portions for its breakfast buffets."If we can remove choice, that will drive impact," Nohse said. "If we can make the choice for the guests by providing a smaller croissant or a smaller doughnut or cutting the fruit in a different way, we can create positive impact without letting the guests make the choice but by creating impact by default."It's not just big portion sizes that are contributing to diners leaving food on their plates. Using Winnow, chefs can see which dishes aren't going down well with diners, Paul Fairhead, CEO of Guckenheimer, the food services arm of ISS which provides commercial catering, told BI. They can then, for example, consider whether the flavors of the dish weren't right, or check the pictures recorded by Winnow to see whether it just looked burned that day.Winnow declined to share specifics about how much its services cost.Hilton <a target="_blank" href="https://stories.hilton.com/emea/releases/hilton-green-breakfast-records-62-percent-reduction-in-food-waste-uae">said</a> that in a "Green Breakfast" pilot that involved making decisions based on Winnow data as well as introducing sustainable behavior "nudges," it cut food waste at 13 of its hotels in the United Arab Emirates over a four-month period in 2023 by 76% for pre-consumer, or kitchen, waste and by 55% for post-consumer waste. The most wasted items included bread and pastry, white eggs, porridge, congee, sambar, shakshuka and baked beans, Hilton said.

Hotels and offices are using an AI tool that scans what they throw in the trash to reduce their food waste and cut costs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Biden administration proposed steep pollution cuts by coal- and gas-fired power plants. </li><li>Most US electricity comes from fossil fuels — the sector creates 25% of the nation's emissions.</li></ul>Coal, like the fossilized plants and animals it's made of, could one day become a relic of America's past.Most of the country's more than <a href="https://www.epa.gov/power-sector/power-plants-and-neighboring-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,400 fossil-fuel power plants</a> would have to nearly eliminate their planet-warming greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040 <a href="https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/greenhouse-gas-standards-and-guidelines-fossil-fuel-fired-power#rule-summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under a proposal announced</a> by the Environmental Protection Agency last week. The plan is the latest move by the Biden administration to curb emissions that are fueling the climate crisis. The transportation and electricity sectors are the two largest sources of emissions, with the former accounting for 28% and the latter 25%, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=The%20largest%20source%20of%20greenhouse,Greenhouse%20Gas%20Emissions%20and%20Sinks." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the EPA</a>. The White House is already pushing for a move to electric vehicles to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-strongest-ever-pollution-standards-cars-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce emissions from tailpipes</a>.Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is key to cutting emissions in half this decade and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels. Climate scientists <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/chapter/summary-for-policymakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warn that crossing that temperature threshold</a> would have catastrophic effects such as heat waves, flooding, drought, crop failures, and food insecurity. The world, on average, is <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/global-temperatures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already at least 1.1 degrees</a> Celsius warmer.The EPA estimated that its power-plant proposal would avoid up to 617 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions through 2042 — about the annual emissions of half the cars on the road in the US today. The plan would also put the Biden administration closer to its climate goals.Coal and natural gas <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&amp;t=6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply the majority of US electricity</a>, although emissions from the power sector <a href="https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/greenhouse-gas-reporting-electric-utilities-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been declining over the past decade</a> as more natural gas and renewables such as solar and wind have been added to the grid and as coal plants close. Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has more than <a href="https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight#:~:text=Methane%20has%20more%20than%2080,after%20it%20reaches%20the%20atmosphere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80 times the warming power</a> of carbon dioxide over the first two decades it's in the atmosphere.Coal plants could also opt to shut down in the first half of the 2030s to avoid meeting most or even all pollution caps. Further closures would continue <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54559" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the trend that's already playing out in the coal sector</a>.Here are the 15 states where coal accounts for the largest source of power as of 2021, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=54919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the US Energy Information Administration</a>:West Virginia — 91%Missouri — 75%Wyoming — 74%Kentucky — 71%Utah — 62%Indiana — 58%North Dakota — 57%Nebraska — 50%Montana — 44%Wisconsin — 43%Colorado — 42%New Mexico — 36%Arkansas — 35%Michigan — 32%Minnesota — 27%

The US wants to cut carbon emissions from power plants. Here are the 15 states where coal is king.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 1 billion children are at extreme risk for weather disasters, a <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/105376/file/UNICEF-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis.pdf">UNICEF report</a> found.</li><li>The majority of these kids live in countries that contribute the least to <keyword id="11949068" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="Orion">carbon emissions</keyword>. </li></ul>Tahsin Uddin, a 23-year-old climate activist who lives in the southern city of Barisal in Bangladesh, has already lost one family home to coastal flooding and rising sea levels. Within the next few years, he expects his current home to be submerged under water as well.Uddin is just one of the millions of Bangladeshis and others across the globe facing the brutal consequences of the <keyword id="11896310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-crisis" source="Orion">climate crisis</keyword>.By 2050, more than 20 million Bangladeshis will be displaced and nearly 20% of the country's land will be underwater because of rising sea levels, a direct impact of the changing climate, according to the<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/bangladesh-country-underwater-culture-move"> Natural Resources Defense Council,</a> a nonprofit climate advocacy group.Uddin told Insider the impact of those rising sea levels can be seen throughout the country: "I go to different coastal areas. I saw how much people are suffering. They are trying to survive by drinking salty water. Saline water is very dangerous for their health."While the consequences of <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> are pummeling Bangladesh, it contributes very little to carbon emissions.<div type="image" title="Villagers wade through waist-deep waters to reach their homes in Pratap Nagar that lies in the Shyamnagar region, in Satkhira, Bangladesh on Oct. 5, 2021" height="1333" width="1777" msid="87688716" hostid="261"></div>In 2020, more than <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/264699/worldwide-co2-emissions/">34 billion metric tons of carbon (CO2) were emitted</a> worldwide, but the countries that contributed the least to that total are already facing some of the most significant impacts of the climate crisis.A <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/105376/file/UNICEF-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis.pdf">UNICEF report</a> published in August found more than 1 billion children, nearly half the world's kids, lived in places with a high risk of <keyword id="12019615" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="extreme-weather" source="Orion">extreme weather</keyword> events. The 33 countries where the climate crisis poses the most risk to children contributed only 9% of global CO2 emissions, while 70% of emissions were attributed to just 10 countries.A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep20281">2016 study</a> found 20 of the 36 highest-emitting countries were among the least vulnerable to the effects of a warming climate, while 11 of the 17 countries with low or moderate emissions were significantly vulnerable.Some of the countries with low emissions per capita that are at a high risk include Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.They are facing heat waves, water scarcity, coastal flooding, and water-borne disease, among other hazards, which in turn can lead to poor sanitation, lack of food, scarce income, and deteriorating living conditions. Meanwhile, many of the places currently experiencing these effects lack the infrastructure or resources to mitigate them.Experts and climate activists have said that while countries contributing the most need to reduce emissions, poorer countries are in need of immediate funding to address current challenges.<h2>Heat waves have killed thousands in India in recent years</h2>In the summer of 2019, large swaths of India were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/india-heat-wave-deaths.html">scorched by temperatures</a> greater than 113 degrees Fahrenheit for nearly three weeks. In some regions, officials closed local schools. Medical authorities <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/heat-wave-conditions-in-rajasthan-leaves-of-churu-doctors-cancelled-2049388">canceled time off for doctors</a> to ensure hospitals could handle the influx of patients.Four passengers <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-express-passengers-dead-heatwave-uttar-pradesh-jhansi-1546733-2019-06-11">fell ill on board an express train</a> that lacked air conditioning, and died by the time the train reached a station in Jhansi, south of New Delhi."Shortly after we left Agra, the heat became unbearable and some people started complaining of breathing problems and uneasiness. Before we could get some help, they collapsed," a passenger told <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-express-passengers-dead-heatwave-uttar-pradesh-jhansi-1546733-2019-06-11">India Today</a>.By the end of that summer heat wave, <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/65-indians-exposed-to-heatwaves-in-may-june-2019-july-2019-was-indias-hottest-ever/">more than 200 people had died</a>. The heat wave of 2015 was far worse, with extreme heat causing the deaths of more than 2,000 people. In the past decade, more than 6,000 people in India have died as a result of excessive heat, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/india-heat-wave-deaths.html">according to government data</a>.<div type="image" title="In this Thursday, May 30, 2019, file photo, children returning from school walk through a dried pond on a hot summer day on the outskirts of Jammu, India. Many parts of India are experiencing extreme heat conditions." height="3723" width="4964" msid="87688718" hostid="261"></div>"Climate change is leading to more frequent, more intense, and longer heat waves around the world," said Olga Wilhelmi, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, adding that the link has been well-documented.An estimated 820 million children, more than a third of kids worldwide, are highly exposed to heat waves, according to the UNICEF report."Extreme heat is probably one of the least appreciated weather hazards, but it's actually one of the more deadly weather hazards in the US and worldwide," Wilhelmi said. "Studies show that in the US, somewhere on average between 600 and 1,800 people die from extreme heat every year, but we don't usually read about that in the news."Health complications of extreme heat can vary from dehydration to heatstroke. Heat waves can also exacerbate cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Groups at a higher risk include older people, children, people with pre-existing conditions, and those who are lower-income and do not have access to air conditioning.Heat waves can also shut down electric grids when they don't have the capacity to handle the increased demand for air conditioning.<h2>Lack of water leads to poverty and hunger </h2>Water scarcity, the lack of adequate access to clean water, is another way people are feeling the climate crisis.While scarcity can be due to institutional failures to deliver water, in many instances it's due to dwindling water sources or growing populations that need more water. More than a third of kids worldwide, 920 million are currently highly exposed to water scarcity. This issue affects kids in various parts of the world including parts of India, South America, Australia, and the Middle East. For example, while parts of India are at extreme risk of scarcity, the country only contributed to 3.14% of overall emissions in 2019. <div type="image" title="Tonchuiwon Tinphei, 34, right, and her sister-in-law Chirmi carry water in baskets and walk home on the eve of World Water Day in Shangshak village, in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Saturday, March 21, 2020." height="1333" width="1778" msid="87688720" hostid="261"></div>Greg Pierce, the co-director of the Water Resources Group: Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, told Insider the biggest effect could be felt in rural areas. Pierce said rural areas tend to be poorer and have one water source. Residents are usually already walking long distances to get to that water which may not always be clean. Water isn't just needed for drinking, but for producing and selling agriculture. Water is very much tied to livelihoods. "The scarcity issue makes it harder to do agriculture, which is what most rural populations rely on for livelihoods. So, there's a hunger, inability to grow food and inability to earn any money," Pierce told Insider. "That lack of water leads directly to people starving and that is going to become a lot more common, unfortunately again, in many parts of the world."When those resources dry up, residents would be forced to travel even further or move, further straining resources. While many parts of India are dealing with water scarcity, other regions are also experiencing flooding, Pierce said. However, the flooding comes with other complications and doesn't counter the consequences of water scarcity. <h2>Coastal flooding, which destroys property and resources, is already taking a heavy toll in Bangladesh</h2>In Uddin's home of Bangladesh, rising seas and extreme precipitation have inundated communities with flooding in recent years.The village of Bonnotola, once home to more than 2,000 people, has less than 500 residents left, as the flooding and salt water-tainted soil destroyed many people's homes and livelihoods, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-europe-environment-and-nature-bangladesh-0f2a0a0f463523a162901f1beda23c7e">Associated Press</a> reported.One woman from the village of Gabura told AP everyone used to grow food in their backyards, but that salt water flooding has disrupted the once-fertile lands and freshwater that many relied on."We have water everywhere, but we don't have a drop anymore to drink from ponds or wells," she said.Almost every ocean on Earth is experiencing a sea-level rise, according to William Sweet, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.One in 10 children, or 240 million, are currently exposed to coastal flooding, according to the UNICEF report. Sea-level rise is exacerbated by extreme rainfall events, which are also a consequence of warming."The same heating that's causing oceans to rise, ice caps and ice sheets to melt, and oceans to expand, is also enabling more moisture to be held within the atmosphere," Sweet said, adding that the result is frequent heavy rains. "The combined effect of course is flooding with nowhere for that water to go."While the threat of entire cities being underwater is the most commonly talked about result of rising sea levels, there are many significant issues that arise well before a city or property is actually underwater."It's not when you're underwater, it's when the system fails," Sweet said, adding that flooding can overwhelm infrastructure and destroy roadways, stormwater and wastewater systems, and people's personal property.He said by the time areas are actually underwater, people are already gone by then, driven out by the flooding.<div type="image" title="Bangladeshi flood victim man carrying their houses by boat during flood in Kurigram, Bangladesh on July 27, 2019." height="1333" width="1777" msid="87688722" hostid="261"></div>Coastal flooding creates more problems where water infrastructure is lacking, Pierce told Insider."Flooding doesn't typically increase water supply. It can have a direct impact on water-borne illness, especially because there's poor sanitation in a lot of places and when there's flooding, it gets into wherever the waste is being contained or into the open sewers and spreads," he said. <h2>Diseases are becoming more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and South America because of the climate crisis</h2>As temperatures rise, cities flood and water becomes scarce, there's also a rise of waterborne illnesses with an estimated 600 million children currently exposed to diseases like malaria and dengue fever, according to the UNICEF report. The impact can be most immediately felt in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Martin Muchangi, AMREF water and sanitation specialist based in Kenya, told Insider he studies waterborne illnesses across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and that a vast majority of people are dealing with water scarcity which in turn is driving up waterborne diseases.Muchangi said the issue is twofold: changing temperatures pushing things like mosquitoes into more places and increasing pathogens that cause diarrhea illnesses like cholera and typhoid and the lack of water leading to poor hygiene and diseases like scabies or glaucoma. He told Insider the problem is leading to harming both people and the economy. "So now at the end of the day, if you combine the sum total, you realize that there's major economic loss, there's serious effects to the health, there's serious effects to the thriving of children," he said. <h2>Many countries facing the worst of the climate crisis also have the least resources to address it </h2>While nowhere on earth will escape the effects of the climate crisis, some countries have infrastructure and resources that make them more prepared to respond.Pierce told Insider many of the impacts can be mitigated with robust public health initiatives and proper infrastructure. Water filtration systems, for example, can mitigate the risks of water-borne disease.Muchangi and Uddin told Insider the countries they live and work in, however, don't have the funds they need to address the issues they're facing. In Bangladesh, Uddin said funding is needed to direct towards researching ways to remove salt from saltwater and towards building infrastructure that can withstand flooding, including fortifying schools, hospitals, homes, and other essential buildings. Muchangi said that while finding ways to mitigate the immediate impacts of the changing climate is necessary, limiting CO2 emissions would greatly reduce the burden."If we are able to alleviate climate change itself, then the effects of climate change are going to become lesser and we are going to be able to thrive in a better way," he said.

Countries contributing the least to the climate crisis are feeling the worst of its effects

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nearly 60 types of date labels appear on food and drinks in US stores.</li><li>The confusion leads to the average family of four losing about $1,500 a year to uneaten food.</li></ul>Before tossing that almond milk labeled "best before" March 2024, try the smell test. There's a good chance it's safe to drink and blend into smoothies.Nearly 60 types of date labels appear on food and drinks in US grocery stores, but few convey useful information about quality or safety. The mixed messages have confused Americans for decades and are estimated to be responsible for about 7% of the 78 million tons of food wasted across the country, <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRa1xTpgxWi6sEhzHta0_UaJz8Lp_grrX5sQy2tS7BfgHnLBAqPPXm8D40ZF5mWgoeLM1T86BjFaBooUgI82240Wn2Ze-Sv7dpH-t2WzxnfBa0MQg7orl8nYInBN-DVn8dKtWqLnXcKAujwqa-4oxortG9es0SPnw9URndHkSOoRbJ-gD5UMg8f0nVp-ksnR1Khy3-UXjgxKPKAJa-PkCXIduEU6xA7fNsxztQFFs4uxOorfJ0x3-2kSX6vKqfRv6BNb2tEKuJYDiY0ylamNa7cdqLPlkQD-_1jhohQ082v-_F_qbTs5SvrZkpNCdMEQ_6qwnoslPECWeD_uZaZYhT3QeyXm0X0LgWYMtKvrRW2ng9DbrNKD_j47eeEsdou8web2gSQGmmPg4fTLjw2tgZP2pOQIo6zlmuaeOueFI4t0i">according to ReFed, a national nonprofit</a>."Consumers ascribe more meaning to date labels than they should," Tori Oto, a clinical fellow at the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, told Business Insider. "There is no federal regulation of date labels. It's a state-by-state patchwork, or it's up to the manufacturers' discretion of what phrasing to use." Clearing up the confusion can avoid food waste, save people money, and help tackle the climate crisis. Households are responsible for the majority of US food waste, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRYybx37lCoXE6gdZEGwEbQwrTmMNS0cqrOwqxRz22dhoyfLoIKjf1pJjh_HhZOSQ4Zd1aLTuQbJWF1Gpkxp6xlj3yeKKWaBB7rvRlKDpDjMVZS-SxT8zwCD-w7TS_gb7zYvLFI0i7HOFQbQbJ7-NJ3TEDLbq6-n0j61z3lO9Jbbo73TBDz_j6vqL-MpyOLLmZyitKvXxHlUEt0z4xrO9ZxKQwj-JpeMFVbbiTimGiDADPTkQV-uh8LjJIRB2yLy2rBlCFCwMYKz_CBsiG5naxRj2lMP67a0jD4mWn3scthJgEwx70FT4cGJqDi101GX38zLNmb7B2pl4LiFcaNWniunuK3GO5K6PiR35s98tbVWiGHuhZ-7ijBM15Zk50T5laA%3D%3D">Agriculture Department</a> has estimated that the average family of four loses about $1,500 a year to uneaten food. Meanwhile, rotting food <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRX0TSZJf-BMLG7Fpb2uqkLVwLZKnOnAWlyFrL5oKN6ooWLdYdsjYMfd-aYsUsRh6DsJHhQQ4cW0ItiEHXmVVu1tA_hlW3VvtJ-mFex1tfO9NiDsJnN9sZC2vPH3jltk0ozGylBxf5skabn_9ABYi5A9HKIIbUMRt0vClZDViqhDPyq11n5IrV4z_BiqeoV2GmC7FiH0jMTbJwLwR43-9kAJoGsV0qhrTPEe4ZebrkOzc_mQp2oVTeSkMBfRcUD7DGelESXh_RCLvTUpO6Fq39PDkE7N7ZjqEGX-_GtqwVCMz75iXpGtZtjYBiBbBo34zuq8yLK2fi7MiIGRw5MZSk4zNKMJLt4d8qc7Ul8BpFd1d2vNNv9jzH-rwjQCLa9UleNRlrMhfIKSEIGVvmirKSXzlu60WKQ7AiwQs-Ww9NGSGGIu7vPVKvMrM00Q7JTMsw49K_M3Vm6G_1hfuW9ZVi6m8CdBVpv5mQMWneLsL0WIshCpA4xAJa7HT5wb2xnZrqVS4gLrSkVcqttF5on7kMhK28_5AFVi-iCUFwk0GYiwD9H3GKgmxlrwxLbLj9781KA%3D%3D">accounts for about 58%</a> of the <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/a/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRWepulKluzN_JEbCeyAPPocuWLMhZuuGD9976PpFI3feOGTww29jVdyxMOBb3Bi3Z0v3VTK19BjgnyfFWwaRNdHUA8c6JgpF6JDIVP2DnFfdklqHrNgTDV2P8kra_cuK2wHDYiqoQx_CvTylm5JgVnmZlQhqDgx67cnGd5BJ0NHojxMTGRocu7G96GYCKPj8j6E8fYQAKpI7zZNYWNhU2YTkegssz9fCMjYlXwNVZrrIWegXsPwvkLLbyZDSFHIhlgL0Z9Mw7K2IT9l7TEoy-jLgAF70EB5GuISC4fGEFBk6nZxf_ioCtPJebXKuCYut9qMjkNhzAHgLLOVCSZChDXxHcx3kkmDqPkiJPskaww1d51k6k7HnPBXD7yDh33MprCCihf8_dYWR7CKoKwSFAtwex-zaDYDb9LcZE2UiaF82">methane</a> emissions from landfills.Oto said labels should be cut down to two options: "best if used by," to indicate the quality of the product, and "use by," to signal when the product shouldn't be consumed. Oto also argued for a consumer-education campaign; in a <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRTiijhQ-h8s0kj3tN-z9RL1-7pT-ZZjR60ONav5VM1biiSjiAXQfyR6EKLxIc3sjHDojH-4CCWsq9tWC5R025pg_jc1IpVr7VmIfuWOvGlVQ46KFI9fCHdGXwGxr6BB8eQ0xV9X9MIkoGgb6A19GdKS1rT-o4mTyKvuzQ0WvdLE1WZJVD18fkj0qvrPd9ylKmnQbrdJFHX38-j3SzWpsFbzIP-FP6zesNUp1M87bxHsjcPBwQ7PYHuNB7J_jheW-Du-KaunCsRdrLzDNirFK74rinfOClJByhh-7Lt6b05PP_eXbx_n-UtLhaGnzOTxvbg03ZpuNZW5B8p1ZfwwYwQGMuMO4s9DlcYZwEPOjoJvvMXmiy7iNyRu_TUVWSOZ_dJidBZwQXH38g3gOrhUjHJIwdAnphMYTqZRl51bi2IoqnYjUl9XDRGRRADUITyj0Vg%3D%3D">survey conducted in 2016</a>, more than one-third of Americans suggested they usually threw food away if it was close to or past a date on the package. About three dozen members of Congress have <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRdZoEtc3IWjJZ0rsRGVPCoHFL9jZYR80IBGv89hmrqyiuAwS2OxAk0peR4W3vPjfrD8d_EGfg--B1P1BQt78xO932V08_UC_anBAptp0nIQ2LcwFO308Ih5xzPOMp5VC1n1ejnlWTQHcIV82g1e3NpJ19aSGdHentLS9CaqzQSkhasFaUhGbMn_CaeVReO356rpAQIY1z7V-gbfTaD5Wkb41tc4SKNSGyLKaWbZLhXwg3mYncDyMoAIYTWp9RW3OmEgBxSew_jdf_-zSBKdkIxVBANCZEDD_6n28gQKgh0LniqMv4W8QaYeNbwa1-t5_KYhRjeLAqh2DD0gbLCYlq5R53lkw21k1td8VEkZOp1pqfpN2NeLnGTGnWOky7H-hNfM98LFRMz862YwjIJRhbki8doF0ruffdypkB3ta5fvg">sponsored legislation</a>, known as the Food Date Labeling Act of 2023, that would require manufacturers to use only "best if used by" and "use by." The bill also has support from at least 20 retailers and brands, including Whole Foods, Amazon, Kroger, Walmart, and Nestlé — the companies signed a letter to lawmakers in February encouraging them to pass the bill.Danielle Melgar, a food and agriculture advocate at PIRG, an environmental watchdog group, said the endorsement from businesses marked a major shift from 2021 when the legislation was first introduced. Reducing food waste is a way for companies to make progress on their sustainability goals, Melgar added.She and other supporters of the bill were handing out the letter to congressional offices last week in hopes of building momentum in Washington. These advocates said the main question from Republican lawmakers is whether the food industry supports the bill. The industry has voluntarily tried to streamline food date labeling. Kroger in 2019 said it would display only "use by" and "best if used by" to communicate food safety and quality, respectively, on dairy, deli, bakery, and fresh and frozen items. Walmart a few years earlier made a similar move for its private label. An industry trade association <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/u/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=6c169fa2e9b5447ca33551b6890d5b3e&amp;_e=kUub96pXzBfKvE4ZoucBRYowtqMV0joH52CU_21uTve8jJW2b1X3gJy0EwCHhj7M_pl4ZO4CU9vaOmZNzWwyNDgDngaMaPTZ2yiH8RzGRWija6it6Qt8mJdepz_h73oMqhgGTa4al68wdq3V-9S-oFcv1X9poONOdN_CyGdv7rMJkegTWntqdieD0WhKiHvxaG3BtuE3eJP0RLZa0E7_ZXfLNOqNtGjNoMXFTvoDQVEoUmjhCo2OUquXzojBgnta9Lcmf8-pIyg58_oe7tr2Tru5H8nwkL5jHncFbXvLOLypcoR39apPEErOIp-tAFa31GBxPvpJyFQsma_NsNuVGtGlc5Yg5d9BRjBQEgNfLlu82MJ_BonVXlOxJQQpkZnRi44wB4Dw5DsSkINER66Nd-wBnXsh6O_SECv-3LOFQwu9rOQbUnPOMxFqmDLCcjV3KzLTOJaZ6HeRNp3ttqcgMfW_N5aIlcq5LEzbpBd9pz0FN7i0KzeoM5hB2yzHCvIe5zhU2zuEE0OK4rME_20krA%3D%3D">launched its own push in 2017</a>.But Oto argued that given how many labels still proliferate, it's clear that a national standard is needed. "Voluntary initiatives were a great first start in socializing this idea of consumer confusion over date labels," she said. "But we still see 60 different phrases in any given grocery store. So buy-in has to be more comprehensive."

You're probably throwing out perfectly good food because 'sell by' and 'best before' dates mean nothing. Retailers like Amazon are backing a bill that could change that.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Walmart uses its size to negotiate low prices with its food company suppliers.</li><li>But that habit creates a "water bed effect," putting pressure on small grocers, an NYT opinion says.</li></ul>Walmart is known for getting the absolute best prices and terms from its suppliers. But that approach might indirectly affect the smaller grocers it competes with, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/opinion/inflation-groceries-pricing-walmart.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an opinion piece in the New York Times</a> highlights.Companies like General Mills and Kraft Heinz make a huge chunk of their sales through Walmart alone, giving the Arkansas-based retailer leverage when it comes to negotiating prices or setting the terms of supply deals, Stacy Mitchell, an executive director at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, wrote in a piece for the New York Times published on Monday.But the suppliers have to make up that money elsewhere, and they often turn to small, local grocers, Mitchell said."So when Walmart demands special deals, suppliers can't say no," Mitchell wrote. "And as suppliers cut special deals for Walmart and other large chains, they make up for the lost revenue by charging smaller retailers even more, something economists call the water bed effect."Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. The water bed effect or phenomenon has been used to explain a wide range of systems, from <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=188bf86aea17dd5db14ea901fe16c4477543b0529839b5070184e2b621cc2ce0&amp;postID=64760ef6ec8ad978205a2028&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41558-019-0579-5%23%3A~%3Atext%3DThe%2520waterbed%2520effect%2520refers%2520to%2Cemissions%2520cap%2520is%2520fixed6." target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">carbon dioxide emissions</a> to computer code. The basic principle is by pushing down one part of a system, another part of the system will pop up, much like a water bed. For the food industry, the consequences of the water bed effect have included consolidation and less competition, Mitchell wrote. "It has driven independent grocers out of business and created food deserts," she wrote in the Times.The grocery industry has become more consolidated over the last few decades. Walmart commanded about one-quarter of US grocery sales in 2021, according to Euromonitor. Kroger represented about 8%, followed by Albertsons at just under 5%. That consolidation is set to continue, with Kroger and Albertsons seeking federal approval for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/kroger-to-merge-with-albertsons-in-a-24-6-billion-deal-11665745735" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a merger worth $24.6 billion.</a>The subject of grocery consolidation was a concern to small grocers before the most recent merger proposal. In January 2022, the US House of Representatives held a committee hearing on competition in the US food supply chain in 2022. Michael Needler, CEO of Fresh Encounter, a grocery chain with about 100 stores in the Eastern US, described Walmart as "legendary" for its ability to set terms for suppliers during the hearing.Walmart uses its size to set prices with suppliers and demand that they meet other criteria, such as on-time delivery rates, Needler said."When a customer can threaten that much of your sales in one stroke, you have to listen," Needler said in the testimony, which he made on behalf of the National Grocers Association, a trade group for small supermarkets.Smaller grocers, by contrast, can't flex the same muscle, leading to worse terms with the same suppliers. "The view from where the independent grocer sits is this: America's food supply chain problems are a result of increasing concentration and unchecked buyer power by dominant retail chains who force suppliers to discriminate against independent grocery," Needler said.Independent grocers represent up to one-third of US grocery sales, according to <a href="https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/independent-supermarkets-drive-one-third-us-grocery-sales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 2021 estimate</a> from the National Grocers Association. But that share has declined for years. After the great financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, for instance, the number of independent grocery stores leveled off, and the group lost market share to larger rivals, according to <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/85783/err-240.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 2017 report</a> from the US Department of Agriculture.

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