Wesengberg, Zoie Noelle2016-10-252016-10-252016-06https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2038858 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Environmental Studies and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Spring 2016.Food waste in the United States is a large-scale issue that impacts international and national food systems. The core consequences of food waste are environmental damages, economic losses and exacerbating social costs inflicted by the food industry. By consuming energy. water and land to produce food that is never eaten, food waste causes significant inefficiencies within the food industry. In the United States. 40 percent of food produced for human consumption is wasted. Awareness and concern are growing among the general public. However, reducing food waste requires the implementation of solutions on a systematic level. This thesis answers the research questions: how should the issue of food waste be framed, what current incentives promote food waste, and how can incentives reduce food waste and reform the food system? Food waste prevention is first framed as an all-encompassing food movement. This thesis then explains the current incentives that promote food waste and explores the deep-rooted reasons that initiate food waste. Finally, incentives for change are presented to encourage food waste mitigation. Throughout this thesis, food waste prevention is framed as a pivotal role in the reformation of the food system.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USFood wasteFoodFood systemsFood industryIndustrial agricultureCheap foodLandfillFood movementThesis / Dissertation