A new index revealed that the U.S. food system faces two key challenges: high levels of food waste and a high prevalence of obesity and overweight people.
 
The 2016 Food Sustainability Index, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit, ranked the U.S. 19th out of 25 countries for prevalence of overweight in children, second-last for prevalence of over-nourishment, second-last for physical activity levels, and last for prevalence of unhealthy diets. On food waste per capita, the U.S. scored third-last, with about one-third (30-40%) of food produced in the country going to waste—more than 20 pounds per person per month.
 
The index, developed with the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation, also showed that the U.S. policy response has been moving in the right direction to remedy the problems. The country is in joint first position for the quality of its response to unhealthy diets. Some states, such as Idaho, promote the use of food stamps at farmers’ markets; others, such as Wisconsin or Minnesota, support breastfeeding or are creating programs to encourage physical activity at work.
 
Policy developments at federal, state and local level also show signs of change, and some cities stand out for their actions. San Francisco has taken active steps to stem food waste through mandatory composting and recycling, consumer education and redistributive food banks.
 
“Although the U.S. has one of the highest levels of food waste per capita, much is being done to tackle this issue, especially grassroots campaigns emerging thanks to the Good Samaritan Law which makes it easier for retailers to donate food to charities,” said Lucy Hurst, the study director. “On consumption, despite a number of recent government initiatives such as Let’s Move and Choose My Plate, the U.S. still has one of the highest obesity rates among the 25 countries in the index”