It’s unthinkable, but it’s true. One fifth of the world’s food is wasted. It just ends up in the trash. A report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) confirms this. You have just published your new Food Waste Index Report.
Household garbage
The report is based on information from 152 points from 54 different countries. It is the most comprehensive study on food waste to date. He says food waste was common to all of the countries involved in the study. It didn’t matter what the income was. Most of this waste comes from households, which dispose of 11% of the total. Restaurants and retail stores waste 5% and 2% respectively.
Globally, 121 kilograms of food per capita are wasted at consumer level every year. 74 kilograms of this takes place in private households. An estimated 931 million tons of food were lost. That is 23 million fully loaded 40-ton trucks.
Food waste has significant environmental, social and economic implications. Food that is not consumed accounts for 8% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Reducing food waste would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The destruction of nature would be slowed down by better use of the land. And it would improve the availability of food, ”says Inger Andersen. She is the Executive Director of UNEP. “It would also reduce hunger and save money in a time of global recession.” “Governments and citizens around the world need to reduce food waste.”
Global problem
3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, the report says. The fight against food waste is expected to be included in the Paris Accords. It would have a doubly positive effect. The fight against climate change and strengthening food security in the world would be combined.
“It was believed that this was a problem unique to developed countries,” says Marcus Gover. “But we see that things are not that clear.” “It’s 9 years until 2030. If we don’t change, sustainable consumption and production patterns aren’t guaranteed,” he continues. This must be a priority. For governments, international organizations, corporations and philanthropic foundations ”. One fifth of the world’s food is wasted today. The aim is to reduce this waste by at least half.
