Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out

Videos

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Civics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by ClimateScience

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What it is

This video from ClimateScience explains how food is wasted in different countries and the impact it has on climate change.
Students will understand that food waste emissions come from production, transportation, and rotting food in landfills.

Teaching tips

Positives

This video uses engaging animation and graphs to illustrate the points it makes.
The video offers solutions that individuals can practice in their own lives.

Prerequisites

There may be an ad before the video.
Students should be comfortable reading graphs and interpreting percentages.
Students should be familiar with the metric system.
Teachers should note that in wealthier countries, food waste mostly occurs at grocery stores because it's difficult to sell imperfect food. In lower-income countries, food waste mostly occurs before the food gets to the grocery store due to inefficient farming techniques and lower access to temperature-controlled storage facilities.

Differentiation & Implementation

A possible activity is to have students come up with creative solutions to decrease food waste at their school.
This is a great video when learning about the unequal distribution of resources around the globe and within the United States.
Related resources include this lesson plan on food waste, this video on food waste, and this article called Fighting Food Waste Means Fighting Climate Change.

From the scientist review

The video underscores the significant impact of food loss and food waste in accelerating average global warming potentials from the agricultural sector and food supply chain. It clearly links the entire food supply chain and its potential impact on climate change. This resource is insightful and recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Civics
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: ClimateScience
Authors: ClimateScience
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2 + 4 more

Connecticut Climate Education Hub

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

Connecticut Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-3.Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ESS3-D.Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D4.7.9-12Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.

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