"According to a 2011 United Nations estimate, one third of the world's food produced annually goes to waste. That's 1.3 billion tons of food, people," she writes.
Taylor also quotes a study by the University of Arizona in Tuscon showing that up to 50 percent of all food produced in the United States is wasted.
She stresses the environmental impact of wasted food as well as the financial cost, both to families and local authorities who have to dispose of the food trash. And of course there's a huge moral element, since many of us are careless while others are starving.
To take a bite out of the issue, she's launched "Tasty Trash: The $55 million Squawkfox Food Waste Challenge," and will share ideas and tips to help curb food waste, from overbuying to storage and spoilage--as well as tasty ways to make the most of leftovers--in her weekly newsletter.
I'm signing up for the Challenge. What about you? Any clever ways to keep food out of the garbage?
(Looking to save more money? Check out 35 Ways to Boost Your Food Budget.)