The Wire

The average Australian family throws away over $1000 worth of food each year, representing about 20 per cent of what they purchase.

This equates to a bill of over $8 billion per year, although the true cost is much higher once environmental impacts like landfill costs and green house gas produced from rotting food are taken into account.

The Wire spoke to  Dr Karen Brooks, Director CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), who looks at the policy solutions needed to reduce losses and waste, improve livelihoods of small producers and benefit the environment.