Every year 80% of the world’s water, 40% of the world’s land, and 10% of the world’s energy is dedicated to growing the food we eat, yet in the same year 1.3 billion tons of food is thrown out. That’s a third of all food grown around the world being wasted before it even reaches a plate. WASTED! The Story of Food Waste sheds a light on the pressing issue of food waste. Executive Produced by author and chef Anthony Bourdain, the film doesn’t simply focus on the problem, but offers solutions like reorienting consumer perspectives on the food that is normally cast aside, and what changes we can make to our food production chain to create a more sustainable food system.

WASTED! directors Anna Chai and Nari Kye showcase the forward-thinking chefs and thought leaders like Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Danny Bowien, and Massimo Bottura, who offer creative, often mouth-watering solutions to this global crisis. The financial and environmental ramifications of wasted food are significant, but as WASTED! highlights, determined individuals and organizations are already influencing the future of food recovery and demonstrating how eating can empower people in the fight to solve one of the world’s most vexing dilemmas.

—Cara Cusumano

Directed by

Anna Chai and Nari Kye