Want to know what’s really going on in U.S. farming and food production? Tune in to ‘This Is U.S. Sustainability‘ where we debunk some of the most common myths and misperceptions by talking to the people who know best. Hear from the farmers and fishermen responsible for growing and catching our food, from the cotton fields of Louisiana to Alaska’s Glacier Bay. And get the inside track on topical issues including animal welfare, water conservation, and the role of tech and innovation in feeding a growing world. To carry on the conversation on social media, use #USSApodcast
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episode 6: E6: From jet fuel to beer: the wonderful world of co-products and upcycled food
Did you know that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, or that a significant amount of food is lost before it leaves the farm? In this episode, we take a closer look at how the U.S. food supply chain is reducing, upcycling, re-using, and eliminating food and postharvest waste.
We speak to Dr. Josette Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer at the Almond Board of California about the almond industry's research into new, productive uses for those parts of the plant that might otherwise be thrown away, such as the hulls, the shells, and even the orchards themselves at their end of life. Jet fuel, beer, water filters, and peat moss to grow mushrooms – these are just some of the many applications in use and under development, as U.S. Department of Agriculture research leader Bill Orts explains.
Also, in this episode, we chat with food scientist Maddison Gurrola about how a leading brewer is upcycling spent brewer’s grain into novel ingredients. And we hear from founder Molly Morse whose start-up is transforming methane gas into a biodegradable polymer that’s a replacement for conventional plastics.