A recent report by the U.N. Environment Program has revealed that almost a fifth of the food produced globally in 2022 was wasted, despite the fact that around a third of the world’s population is facing hunger. The Food Waste Index Report stated that out of the 1.05 billion tons of food waste, 60 percent came from households, while the food service and retail sectors were responsible for 28 percent and 12 percent respectively.
The U.N. body is monitoring countries’ progress in halving food waste by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, figures have worsened since the previous report in 2019, which reported 931 million tons of waste. Despite this, some countries such as Japan have made progress in reducing food waste, with a reduction of 31 percent in 2020 compared to 2008 when comparable data became available.
On average, each person discards 79 kilograms of food annually, which is equivalent to 1.3 meals per day for those experiencing hunger globally. The report also highlighted the impact of food waste on climate change, with food loss and waste generating 8 to 10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. In response to this issue, the UNEP Executive Director emphasized the need for action and urged G20 countries to take a leading role in international cooperation and policy development to address food waste and share their expertise with other countries facing similar challenges.
