As the holiday season quickly approaches, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will host an expert briefing for the media about methods to reduce climate-harming food waste and support sustainable production.

Food systems–from production to waste–are a significant global challenge. Food waste heavily contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental strain. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food waste in the U.S. causes carbon dioxide emissions equal to that of 42 coal-fired power plants through processing, production, transportation, storage, and preparation. This figure does not include the methane emissions from food decomposing in landfills. 

The live briefing will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, November 21, via Zoom and will feature two experts from the Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

Keeve Nachman, PhD, and Roni Neff, PhD, will discuss:

  • Strategies for planning holiday meals, focusing on purchasing practices that minimize waste, save money, and support sustainable production methods.
  • The environmental consequences of holiday food waste, including greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and the hidden costs associated with overbuying and disposal.
  • The economic, ethical, and public health implications of industrial food production, highlighting how sustainable food choices can align with healthier ecosystems and communities.
  • The human health and environmental risks associated with industrial food animal production, including human exposure to chemical and microbial hazards in food.
  • Environmental injustices in the food production system

Experts:

  • Keeve Nachman, PhD, is the Robert S. Lawrence professor and associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and associate chair of the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He researches the public health and environmental impacts of food production systems, with a particular focus on industrial animal agriculture and food safety.
  • Roni Neff, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, senior advisor at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and she co-directs the national food waste research network. She investigates food waste reduction, food system resilience to disasters, and other food systems issues, with a focus on environmental impacts and food policy. 

Registration required: Media should register here by 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 20, to receive the Zoom link and password for Wednesday’s briefing. Questions for the experts may be submitted via the registration form in advance or via chat during the briefing.

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holiday planning thanksgiving food Food Waste industrial farming CAFO