More Mainers are relying on food pantries to put meals on the table, according to Feeding America. A first of its kind study from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection finds that 360,000 tons of food loss and waste are generated in the state each year. Food waste is a major contributor to climate change, Susanne Lee said. She’s co-author of the study and faculty fellow at the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine. “It’s always shocking to think there’s that much waste that’s generated and food that’s lost in our state when we have one in eight adults and one in five children who suffer from hunger,” Lee said. And she said contrary to popular belief, most food waste is generated by households. “I think people think, well, this is a business issue, or, it’s grocery stores, it’s food processing, it’s those restaurants throwing out all that food, Lee said. “But actually, the majority of the waste is generated by households.” The second largest contributor is agriculture, where food is lost because it isn’t harvested. While the study is intended to inform state climate policy, Lee hopes it will also prompt households to take action to reduce waste.