A batch of companies has been trying to take the mountains of "ugly" fruits and vegetables passed over by supermarkets and find new homes for all that produce. They aim to turn a profit while also curbing the massive problem of food waste.
But they have run into a thorny problem. How do you know whether the oranges and lettuce a company says it "saves" would have been wasted otherwise? It's a question with implications for the climate, since decomposing food, which releases methane, is responsible for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing how much waste is actually being averted is key to calculating these companies' effects on the environment.
