One billion households threw out food, as over 750 million others were starving while a third others faced food insecurity in 2022 triggering an increase in climate change according to the latest UN report.
“Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world,”
Inger Andersen
The report shows that the food loss hurt the global economy causing an estimated loss of USD 1 trillion. It proposes urgent measures at individual and systemic levels to contain the situation. The data shows food waste accounted for 8-10 per cent of annual greenhouse gas emissions, almost 5 times contributed by aviation sector and consumed a third of the world’s agricultural land.
WORLD SQUANDERS FOOD IN THE FACE OF SCARCITY FUELLING CLIMATE CHANGE
“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 unneccessary 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 accelarate progress on global goals.”
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.”
MONITORING FOOD WASTE
Experts say food loss spikes emissions and also results to nature loss and pollution. Harriet Lamb the WRAP CEO, one of the leading UK environmental charity called for the need for strengthening data systems to track food waste.
“With the huge cost to the environment, society and global economies caused by food waste, we need greater coordinated action across continents and supply chains. We support UNEP in calling for more rich countries to measure food waste and work towards halving it by 2030. This is critical to ensuring food feeds people, not landfills,” she said.
The report shows food waste is a global trend with levels of household food waste differing in average levels for high income,upper middle and lower middle income countries by just 7kg per capita. Countries experiencing hotter temperatures generated more food waste, attributed to lack of cold chains.
There has been a strengthening of data infrastructure to track food waste since 2021 as cited in the report. The number of data points at household level doubled. But the report acknowledges that a number of low and middle income countries lack systems for tracking progress that can inform strategies to halve food waste in retail and food services by 2030 as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
In the 2022 survey, only four G20 countries Australia,Japan,UK,USA and the European Union have food waste estimates that can track progress to 2030. Canada and Saudi Arabia are recorded to have proper household estimates, and Brazil is expected to have one later this year.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report was released ahead of the international day of zero waste that observed on March 30th. The aim of the day is to raise awareness on the need to reduce landfill waste, increase recycling and enhance participation of households in the circular economy.
In 2022 there were over 1 billion tonnes of food waste generated that amounted to 132 kilograms per capita and almost a fifth of all food available to consumers. 60 percent of the waste happened at household level, while 28 per cent at food services and 12 per cent at retail.