Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• Why do experts say the food waste problem demands even more urgency now? (Key Details)
The country is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. About one in six people in the U.S. don’t have enough to eat on a regular basis. Much of the food being wasted is edible, and some of it could go to help hungry Americans. The amount of food wasted in the U.S. could feed 100 million people for a year.
• Why is composting food scraps better for the environment than sending them to a landfill? (Cause and Effect)
When food scraps are composted, they break down relatively quickly into nutrient-rich material that can be used as a fertilizer for gardening. When food scraps go to a landfill, they’re buried under layers of soil. Without much oxygen, the scraps take a long time to decompose and the process produces methane. That greenhouse gas contributes to climate change by trapping heat and making Earth warmer.
• Summarize the section “Top Cause of Waste.” (Summarizing)
About 40 percent of food waste in the U.S. happens in individual households. Americans often buy more food than they need, prepare portions that are too large, and store food improperly or forget about it. People also sometimes throw away food because the “best by” or “use by” date has passed, even though it might still be safe to eat.
• How does the graph “Where Food Waste Happens” support the article? (Text Features)
The circle graph shows where food waste happens in the U.S. supply chain. It supports the idea that more food waste happens at the individual level than at other parts of the supply chain. According to the graph, 37 percent of food waste happens in households, 21 percent on farms, 14 percent in manufacturing, 12 percent in stores, and 10 percent at restaurants.