Baylen J. Linnekin - Biting the Hands That Feed Us: How Fewer, Smarter Laws Would Make Our Food System More Sustainable

In the U.S. today, nearly 40% of food goes to waste. Much of this is the unintended consequence of laws regulating the food industry, such as standards for appearance, blanket sell-by dates that prohibit “expired” food from being donated, and laws that ban backyard fruit and vegetable gardens. Linnekin, a lawyer, adjunct professor at George Mason and American Universities, and founder and executive director of Keep Food Legal, surveys a variety of food regulations, interviews people involved in producing, selling, and preparing food, and spotlights the regulations that have been successful in promoting a sustainable, clean, and equable food supply.