Final answer:
The majority of fruits and vegetables produced in the US are not consumed, but are rather lost to waste for various reasons including agricultural policy, consumer habits, and the structure of the agribusiness. Much of the waste ends up in landfills, contributing to environmental problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, a significant amount of fruits and veggies are produced, but not all are consumed. It's interesting to note that roughly half of the land dedicated to agriculture does not grow food directly consumed by humans; instead, it's used for things like biofuels, animal feed, and non-food crops like cotton. Unfortunately, this has implications for food waste.
The U.S. has a high level of food wastage, much of which ends up in landfills and contributes to methane emissions, as highlighted by the Sierra Club. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, over 40 million tons of food waste were generated in 2017, which is 15.2% of all trash sent to landfills. This problem is exacerbated by policies and consumer cultures that lead to overconsumption and excess waste such as the availability of out-of-season produce year-round, larger serving sizes, and heavy marketing of unhealthy foods.
Overall, a significant portion of agricultural production is not ingested due to several factors, including overproduction, policy decisions, and consumer habits. To address food waste, there's a need for an attitude shift focusing on reducing waste, opting for local produce, and paying attention to how food is grown and transported.