Luke Kline: Using the courts to combat food waste

NPSIA MA/JD Student Luke Kline has just published a piece in Policy Options by the Institute of Research on Public Policy (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 (Policy Options).