Luke Kline: Using the courts to combat food waste
Nearly half of all food is wasted while many Canadians rely on food banks. Could lawsuits be the solution to fight food waste?
NPSIA MA/JD Student Luke Kline has just published a piece in by the (IRPP). In this compelling analysis, Kline explores the staggering scale of food waste in Canada—nearly nine million tonnes and $58 billion worth annually—and its heavy environmental and social consequences, including biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the world’s third-largest emitter.
Kline proposes a novel legal approach: deploying public nuisance torts to reframe systemic food waste as a violation of the public’s right to a clean environment. He argues this could catalyze reform by raising awareness, pressuring businesses, and spurring policy change—even if actual litigation falls short ().