VOA时事新闻2023 美国各州多措并举减少食物浪费（在线收听）

美国各州多措并举减少食物浪费

When Sean Rafferty first worked in a food store 40 years ago, anything that was not sold got thrown out.

40年前，当肖恩·拉弗蒂第一次在食品店工作时，没有卖出去的东西都会被扔掉。

But on a recent day at his store near the New York City area, he was preparing boxes of bread, vegetables, and milk products to be picked up by a food bank.

但最近的一天，在他位于纽约市附近的商店里，他准备好几箱面包、蔬菜和奶制品，以让一家食品银行来领取。

It is part of a program in New York State requiring larger businesses to donate food, and, if possible, reusing small, leftover pieces of food.

这是纽约州一项计划的一部分，该计划要求大型企业捐赠食物，并在可能的情况下重复利用剩余食物。

New York is among a growing number of states trying to limit food waste.

美国越来越多的州试图限制食品废物，纽约州就是其中之一。

They are concerned that it is taking up space in landfills and adding to global warming.

他们担心，这会占用垃圾填埋场的空间，并加剧全球变暖。

A landfill is a place for putting garbage.

垃圾填埋场是放置垃圾的地方。

Food waste including meat and vegetables releases methane gas after being put in a landfill.

包括肉类和蔬菜在内的食品废物被放入垃圾填埋场后会释放出甲烷气体。

And saving unwanted food helps to feed hungry families.

而节约不需要的食物有助于养活饥饿的家庭。

Worldwide, about a third of food is wasted.

在世界范围内，大约三分之一的食物被浪费。

In the United States, it is 40 percent.

在美国，这一比例为40%。

The U.S. spends about $218 billion each year growing and producing food that is wasted.

美国每年花费约2180亿美元种植和生产被浪费的粮食。

About 57 million metric tons goes to waste, including 47.5 million metric tons that ends up in landfills.

大约有5700万公吨食物被浪费，其中4750万公吨最终被放入垃圾填埋场。

"What's shocking to people often is not only how much we waste ... but also the impact," said Emily Broad Leib.

埃米莉·布罗德·莱布说：“令人震惊的不仅是我们浪费了多少食物……还有其影响。”

She is a Harvard University professor and director of the school's Food Law and Policy Clinic.

她是哈佛大学教授，也是该校食品法律和政策诊所的主任。

"Food waste causes about 8 percent to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions."

“食品废物所产生的温室气体约占全球温室气体排放量的8%至10%。”

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency announced a goal of 50 percent food waste reduction by 2030.

2015年，美国农业部和环境保护局宣布了到2030年将食品废物减少50%的目标。

That has led to a number of state government efforts, along with smaller, nonprofit efforts.

这导致州政府采取了一系列措施，以及规模较小的非营利性举措。

Ten American states and Washington, D.C. have passed legislation or created policies to reduce, compost or donate waste.

美国十个州和华盛顿特区已经通过立法或制定政策来减少食品废物、将食品废物转化为堆肥或捐赠食物。

The states of California and Vermont have programs for turning people's food waste into compost or energy.

加利福尼亚州和佛蒙特州都有将人们的食品废物转化为堆肥或能源的计划。

Connecticut requires businesses, including larger food sellers and supermarkets, to reuse food waste.

康涅狄格州要求企业，包括大型食品销售商和超市，重新利用食品废物。

Farmers in Maryland can get a tax credit of up to $5,000 per farm for food they donate.

马里兰州的农民如果捐赠食物，每个农场可以获得高达5000美元的税收抵免。

Several states have joined New York in creating systems for food donation.

一些州加入了纽约州的行列，建立了食物捐赠系统。

Rhode Island requires food sellers servicing schools and universities to donate any unused food to food banks.

罗德岛州要求为学校和大学提供服务的食品销售商将未使用的食品捐赠给食品银行。

And Massachusetts limits the amount of food that businesses can send to landfills.

马萨诸塞州限制了企业可以送往垃圾填埋场的食品数量。

As of late October, New York had sent 2.3 million kilograms of food, about 4 million meals, through its Feeding New York State program.

截至10月底，纽约州已通过其“供养纽约州”计划运送了230万公斤食物，约合400万顿饭。

The program supports the state's 10 area food banks and is hoping to double that number next year.

该计划支持该州的10个地区食品银行，并希望明年将这一数字翻一番。

"Certainly, we should be reducing the amount we waste to start with, but then we should be feeding people before we throw food away…" said Sally Rowland.

莎莉·罗兰说：“当然，我们应该从减少浪费开始，但在扔掉食物之前，我们应该先让人们有饭吃。”

She is with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

她在纽约环境保护局工作。

Despite New York's success, some worry not enough is being done to meet the 2030 goal.

尽管纽约取得了成功，但一些人担心，要实现2030年的目标，他们做得还不够。

Broad Leib and others have called for a national effort to coordinate the various state and local policies.

布罗德·莱布和其他人呼吁全国努力协调各州和地方的各种政策。

Kathryn Bender is a University of Delaware assistant professor of economics.

凯瑟琳·本德尔是特拉华大学经济学助理教授。

She said donation programs are helpful.

她说，捐赠计划是有帮助的。

But she worries they might put the responsibility on nonprofits, instead of businesses.

但她担心他们可能会把责任推给非营利组织，而不是企业。

"The best solution for food waste is to not have it in the first place," Bender said.

本德尔说：“解决食品废物问题的最好办法就是从一开始就不要浪费食物。”

"If we don't need to produce all that food, let's not put all the resources into producing that food."

“如果我们不需要生产所有这些食物，那就不要把所有资源都投入到生产食物上。”