High levels of food waste and a high prevalence of obesity are two key challenges facing the U.S. food system.

Lucy Hurst, study director

“Although the U.S. has one of the highest levels of food waste per capita, much is being done to tackle this issue, especially grassroots campaigns emerging thanks to the Good Samaritan Law, which makes it easier for retailers to donate food to charities,” said Lucy Hurst, the study director. “On consumption, despite a number of recent government initiatives such as Let’s Move and Choose My Plate, the U.S. still has one of the highest obesity rates among the 25 countries in the index.”

However, the United States rated favorably for its policy responses to these issues, with developments at the federal, state and local levels tackling unhealthy diets and food loss, according to the study. States such as Idaho promote the use of food stamps at farmers’ markets, while others, including the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, support programs to encourage physical activity in the workplace. San Francisco, California, U.S., meanwhile, has taken action to reduce food waste through mandatory composting and recycling, consumer education and redistributive food banks, according to the study.

The Food Sustainability Index was established to explore three paradoxes in food systems — sustainability, hunger and nutrition — and to provide a benchmarking tool to help policymakers identify areas of priority.

On the index for sustainable agriculture, the United States ranked 19th of 25, with low scores for environmental impact of agriculture on water (23rd), impact on land of animal feed and biofuels (25th), and environmental impact of agriculture on the atmosphere (21st), but high scores for environmental biodiversity (2nd) and climate change mitigation (tied for 1st).