CHENNAI: There is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone, yet as many as 783 million people still go hungry. This is because we collectively junk one billion meals everyday.
This has been quantified in the Food Waste Index Report 2024, released earlier this week, co-authored by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UK-based NGO WRAP. It is the most accurate global estimate on food waste at retail and consumer levels.
According to the report, in the year 2022, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food, which amounts to one-fifth (19%) of the total food available to the consumers at the retail, food service and household level. This was in addition to the 13% of the world’s food lost in the supply chain, as estimated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), from post-harvest excluding retail.
Shockingly, most of the food waste comes from households. Out of the total food wasted in 2022, households were responsible for 631 million tonnes equivalent to 60%. On an average, each person wastes 79 kg of food annually. At least one billion meals are wasted worldwide every single day, using a very conservative assessment on the share of food waste that is edible. It is equivalent to 1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world impacted by hunger, the report said.
“Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Not only is this a major development issue, but the impacts of such unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature. The good news is we know if countries prioritise this issue, they can significantly reverse food loss and waste, reduce climate impacts and economic losses, and accelerate progress on global goals.”
It is important to remember that one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the Paris Agreement, is a global blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet adopted by all UN Member States. It includes sustainable consumption and production patterns. The SDG 12, target 12.3 captures a commitment to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and to reduce food loss across supply chains by 2030. It has a key role to play in the delivery of other SDGs, including those around Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Sustainable Cities (SDG 11) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
8-10% in GHG & $1 tln loss
In economic terms, the food that is wasted costs $1 trillion and it is also an environmental failure. Food systems contribute an estimated one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite this, as of 2022, only 21 out of 193 countries that have submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations as a requirement of the Paris Agreement have so far included commitments to reduce food loss and waste directly in their NDCs.
Of the 21, 7 countries have food waste commitments only, 12 have food loss commitments and two have both food waste and food loss commitments. An additional 29 NDCs mention plans to improve food waste disposal and treatment, such as increased composting of food waste and diverting organic waste from landfills.