illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The New York Times or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now being employed to tackle the issue of food waste in the hospitality and retail sectors 
• Technologies developed by companies like Winnow and Afresh use AI to monitor trash and sales data, respectively, to identify and reduce unnecessary food wastage

🔭 The context: The AI-driven approach addresses the significant problem of food waste, which not only results in economic losses but also contributes to environmental damage through the emission of greenhouse gases during decomposition in landfills 
• The initiative aligns with broader efforts to achieve more sustainable consumption patterns and reduce ecological footprints

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Food waste is responsible for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions
• By leveraging AI to minimize waste, these innovations represent a critical step towards mitigating climate change impacts and promoting environmental sustainability

⏭️ What's next: As AI continues to evolve, its application in reducing food waste showcases the potential for technology-driven solutions to address pressing environmental challenges 
• This marks a promising direction for sustainability efforts, with the potential to significantly impact waste reduction goals and resource efficiency in the food industry

💬 One quote: "It’s a problem that literally gets swept away,” (Marc Zornes, founder of Winnow)

📈 One stat: In the United States, a third of all produced food is never consumed

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