A report from United Nations (UN) reveals that an estimated 17% of total food available for consumers in 2019, went into waste which roughly equals that of 23 million fully-loaded 40-tons trucks. The study finds that food waste is not the problem of only developed countries rather it’s now a global concern.
The UN conducted a research to support global efforts to halve food waste by 2030 as a part of the Sustainable Development Goal. The Food Waste Index Report, from United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and partner organization WRSP, identifies food waste that occurs in retail outlets, homes, and restaurants. The study includes both, food and parts like bones and shells. The reports bring comprehensive data collection of food wastage, analysis, and modeling, and offers a methodology for countries to measure the food wastage using 152 food waste data points which were identified in 54 countries.
The latest report finds that in most countries, food waste is substantial, regardless of income. 61% of the food waste comes from households, while foodservice accounts for 26% and retailers account for 13%. UN is pushing to reduce food waste globally, and researchers are working on the assessment of food waste that includes the food wasted even before reaching the end-user.
Food waste has become a growing concern because of the environmental effect of production, including the land to grow crops, animals, fertilizers, and the greenhouse gas emission produced along the way. But many countries haven’t yet shown concern for their food waste, so they don’t quantify and understand the scale of the problem. The UN said that food is too important to waste and hence awareness about the scale of food waste globally is necessary which could help shift the attitude of the people because they have to do their part to reduce the waste and tackle food waste globally.
