Anthony Bourdain Wants You to Quit Wasting So Much Effing Food
Ready to lose your appetite? Americans waste (aka throw away) 40 percent of the food produced in our country. This startling fact compelled Anthony Bourdain to produce a full-length documentary on the subject, entitled Wasted! The Story of Food Waste. According to the film's trailer, food waste is the single biggest cause of deforestation, water extraction, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gases. In a press release sent to POPSUGAR, Bourdain elaborated on his reason for making this documentary:
I'm not an activist, but the intent of this film aligns with something that's very much personal. I came up in kitchen regimes where you live by an absolute rule of using everything and wasting nothing, and of course, as a traveler, I see again and again how circumstances force people to cook incredibly well with the often very little food available to them. One film isn't going to cure all of society's ills, but if a few people start thinking about what they're eating for dinner in a different way or think twice about throwing out what is often the best stuff, it's a good day.
Beyond Bourdain, the documentary features beloved chefs Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, Dan Barber, and Danny Bowien expanding on how they "transform" food scraps and seemingly nonuseful items into "something wonderful." Watching the trailer alone may propel you to think twice about wasting the food in your fridge and on your plate. At the very least, Anthony says every time you choose not to waste food, "You can enjoy the smug satisfaction of doing the right thing. How often do you get to do that?" The film will open in theaters and on demand on Oct. 13.