[rjshade]

Americans wasting/not wasting some of their surplus food (in America!) is not going to affect starving people elsewhere

The money used to buy (and then waste) surplus food could be donated to the most effective charities[1][2], thereby saving lives. You could donate directly to charities which feed starving people although these may not do the most good (in terms of lives saved per dollar donated).

[1]http://www.givewell.org/ [2]http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/resources/charity-comparisons...