Imagine a world where the global pile of wasted food in 2022—over a billion tonnes—created more greenhouse gases than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 1.05 billion tonnes of food was wasted in 2022, representing 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level.
- In 2019, food waste at the household level alone accounted for 929 million tonnes globally, or 60% of total food waste.
- Between 2010 and 2019, global food waste grew by 12% at consumer level, from 827 million to 929 million tonnes.
- Post-harvest losses occur primarily in storage (10-20%) in developing regions.
- Processing stage waste averages 5-10% for fruits and 2-5% for grains globally.
- Retail food waste is highest for fresh produce at 12-15% of purchases.
- Fruits and vegetables account for 45% of total global food loss and waste by volume.
- Cereals represent 20% of global food waste, mainly at post-harvest stage.
- Roots and tubers have the highest loss rates at 23% globally post-harvest.
- In North America and Oceania, per capita food waste is 111 kg/year at consumer level.
- Europe generates 99 kg/capita/year food waste, highest in household sector at 70 kg.
- Sub-Saharan Africa loses 13% of food production post-harvest, mainly grains and roots.
- Global food waste costs $1 trillion USD annually, 1% of global GDP.
- Food loss and waste use 28% of global agricultural land unnecessarily.
- Wasted food emits 8% of global GHG, 3.3 Gt CO2e/year.
Global food waste is massive, harming our climate and economy significantly.
Global Quantities and Trends
- Globally, 1.05 billion tonnes of food was wasted in 2022, representing 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level.
- In 2019, food waste at the household level alone accounted for 929 million tonnes globally, or 60% of total food waste.
- Between 2010 and 2019, global food waste grew by 12% at consumer level, from 827 million to 929 million tonnes.
- Food loss and waste represent 8-10% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, approximately 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
- Worldwide, 13% of food produced for human consumption is lost between harvest and retail, totaling around 132 kg per capita annually.
- From 2020-2022, average annual food waste per capita at retail and consumer levels was 79 kg in Europe and North America.
- Global food waste in 2022 generated 1.9 billion tonnes CO2e, more than the aviation and shipping industries combined.
- Household food waste constitutes 55-65% of total food waste globally, with retail contributing 10-15%.
- In 2022, food waste accounted for 28% of global methane emissions from human activities.
- Global per capita food waste at consumer level averaged 104 kg/year in 2019, up from 89 kg in 2007.
- Food waste volumes increased by 21% globally between 2007 and 2019 at household level.
- In 2022, total food waste reached 1.05 billion tonnes, enough to feed 1.2 billion people annually.
- Global food loss post-harvest averages 14% for cereals, 17% for roots/tubers, and 22% for fruits/vegetables.
- Between 2019 and 2022, food waste per capita remained stable at 79 kg/year in high-income regions.
- Worldwide, 17% of global food production (1.3 billion tonnes) is wasted annually across the supply chain.
- Food waste trends show a 10% increase in low-income countries from 2010-2020 due to urbanization.
- Global household food waste in 2022 was estimated at 645 million tonnes, 61% of total waste.
- Per capita food supply wasted globally equates to 121 kg/person/year when including losses.
- From 1970-2010, food waste tripled in volume alongside population growth.
- In 2024 projections, global food waste could reach 1.2 billion tonnes without intervention.
- Global retail food waste averaged 74 kg/capita/year in upper-middle-income countries in 2019.
- Food waste monitoring shows 30% increase in data availability since 2019 UNEP report.
- Worldwide, 40% of food waste occurs at consumer level in high-income nations.
- Annual global food waste value exceeds $1 trillion USD.
- Trends indicate food waste per capita in Asia rose 15% from 2010-2020.
- Global food loss in primary production averages 10-20% depending on commodity.
- In 2022, food waste represented 12% of total human calorie production.
- Household waste trends show over-preparation as key driver, 24% globally.
- Global food waste peaked at 1.05 Bt in 2022 post-COVID recovery.
- Per capita waste at food service level averaged 11 kg/year globally in 2019.
- Farm to fork losses total 1.3 billion tonnes annually, 1/9th of production.
Global Quantities and Trends Interpretation
The world is feasting on waste, with our annual banquet of 1.05 billion discarded tonnes now belching more climate-heating gas than all planes and ships combined, a grotesque irony when it could instead feed over a billion hungry people.
Impacts and Consequences
- Global food waste costs $1 trillion USD annually, 1% of global GDP.
- Food loss and waste use 28% of global agricultural land unnecessarily.
- Wasted food emits 8% of global GHG, 3.3 Gt CO2e/year.
- Food waste contributes 6% to global water footprint, 250 km³/year.
- Economic loss from household food waste alone is $400 billion/year globally.
- Preventing food waste could feed 690 million undernourished people.
- Food waste methane emissions equal EU's total GHG output.
- $1 trillion in waste equals 10% of global health spending needs.
- Wasted food uses 23% of global freshwater withdrawals.
- Food waste exacerbates biodiversity loss via land conversion.
- Annual fish waste loss valued at $23-38 billion USD.
- Reducing waste could cut agriculture emissions by 15%.
- Food waste costs developing countries 10% of ag GDP.
- 1.3 Gt waste pollutes soil with 1.8 Mt microplastics via packaging.
- Wasted calories equal 24% of total production, worsening hunger.
- Fruit/veg waste loses 25% of vitamin C supply globally.
- Food waste landfill methane is 8% of total anthropogenic.
- Economic cost of dairy waste $50 billion/year.
- Waste diverts 132 million hectares cropland unused.
- Protein waste from meat/dairy equals 25% of production.
- Food waste increases fertilizer runoff, polluting 10% waterways.
- $160 billion lost in developing world post-harvest.
- GHG from waste rivals India's total emissions.
- Water wasted in food equals annual flow of Volga River x3.
- Social cost: waste perpetuates 783 million undernourished.
- Landfill leachate from food waste contaminates 20% groundwater sites.
- Economic multiplier: $1 waste costs $2.5 in supply chain.
Impacts and Consequences Interpretation
It is both a profound moral failure and an absurd financial calamity that we are essentially setting a trillion dollars on fire, poisoning our planet, and starving our neighbors, all by simply failing to eat the food we already grew.
Regional Variations
- In North America and Oceania, per capita food waste is 111 kg/year at consumer level.
- Europe generates 99 kg/capita/year food waste, highest in household sector at 70 kg.
- Sub-Saharan Africa loses 13% of food production post-harvest, mainly grains and roots.
- In South Asia, 40% of vegetables are wasted due to poor infrastructure.
- Latin America food waste at retail is 65 kg/capita/year in urban areas.
- North-East Asia household waste averages 85 kg/person/year.
- Industrialized Asia (Japan, Korea) wastes 77 kg/capita at consumer level.
- Middle East and North Africa lose 20% of fruits post-harvest.
- In the US, 30-40% of food supply (325 pounds/person/year) is wasted.
- UK households waste 6.4 million tonnes annually, 70 kg per household.
- India post-harvest losses total 74 million tonnes/year for perishables.
- Australia consumer waste is 312 kg/household/year.
- China generates 160 million tonnes food waste yearly from cities.
- Brazil loses 26,000 tonnes/day of food across supply chain.
- Nigeria fruit/veg losses reach 50% due to market gluts.
- France retail waste is 37 kg/capita/year, down 10% since 2016.
- South Africa household waste 10 million tonnes/year.
- Japan food waste totals 5.5 million tonnes/year from businesses.
- Russia loses 15% of grain harvest to poor storage.
- Canada throws away 2.3 million tonnes food/year, 170 kg/person.
- Southeast Asia fish losses 30% post-catch.
- Germany consumer waste 81 kg/person/year.
- Egypt bread waste 80 million loaves/day.
- Mexico 20% produce wasted at markets.
- Indonesia rice losses 15-20% post-harvest.
- Italy food waste 500 kg/person/year including losses.
- Kenya dairy losses 25% from mastitis.
Regional Variations Interpretation
The world's dining table is a tragic comedy: the richest nations casually scrape enough edible food into the bin to feed entire regions where scarcity is caused not by a lack of production, but by a catastrophic parade of crumbling trucks, leaky sacks, and overwhelmed market stalls.
Waste by Food Commodity
- Fruits and vegetables account for 45% of total global food loss and waste by volume.
- Cereals represent 20% of global food waste, mainly at post-harvest stage.
- Roots and tubers have the highest loss rates at 23% globally post-harvest.
- Meat and animal products contribute 15% of food waste but 30% of embedded emissions.
- Dairy products waste averages 10% at consumer level due to short shelf life.
- Fish and seafood losses reach 35% from catch to consumption in some regions.
- Bread and bakery items make up 10% of household waste in high-income countries.
- Oilseeds and pulses lose 10-15% during processing globally.
- Fresh fruits waste 14% at retail due to appearance standards.
- Vegetables like leafy greens spoil 25% faster, contributing 20% to produce waste.
- Starchy roots such as potatoes waste 30% from farm to fork.
- Poultry meat overproduction wastes 12% in processing plants.
- Citrus fruits lose 20% post-harvest from bruising in transit.
- Pasta and noodles contribute 5% to household dry goods waste.
- Bananas account for 8% of tropical fruit waste due to ripening issues.
- Beef trimmings waste 25% during cutting and packaging.
- Apples rejected for size/color waste 15% at packing stations.
- Yogurt past expiration wastes 18% in consumer fridges.
- Rice post-harvest losses average 15% in Asia.
- Salad greens waste 40% from wilting at retail.
- Eggs crack and waste 5% during transport and storage.
- Tomatoes lose 12% from mechanical damage pre-processing.
- Cheese over-ripening wastes 10% at household level.
- Onions store poorly, wasting 20% over season.
Waste by Food Commodity Interpretation
Our obsession with cosmetic perfection and poor logistics means we’re essentially farming landfills, with the planet paying the price for our pickiness and poor planning.
Waste by Stage of Supply Chain
- Post-harvest losses occur primarily in storage (10-20%) in developing regions.
- Processing stage waste averages 5-10% for fruits and 2-5% for grains globally.
- Retail food waste is highest for fresh produce at 12-15% of purchases.
- Household expiration dates cause 20% of waste in high-income countries.
- On-farm losses for dairy milk average 3-5% due to mastitis and spoilage.
- Distribution losses from transport damage affect 5% of perishables globally.
- Consumer-level plate waste averages 93g per person per day in Europe.
- Manufacturing trim losses for meat processing reach 20-30% by weight.
- Retail cosmetic rejections account for 10% of fruit/veg waste in supermarkets.
- Household storage mishandling causes 15% of bread waste globally.
- Post-harvest handling losses for roots/tubers are 20-30% in low-income areas.
- Food service overproduction leads to 25% waste in fast-food chains.
- Processing peeling losses for fruits average 15-25% of fresh weight.
- Retail markdown failures contribute 8% to bakery waste.
- Consumer confusion over labels causes 19% of dairy waste at home.
- On-farm harvest timing errors lead to 5-10% losses in grains.
- Distribution cold chain failures spoil 7% of seafood shipments.
- Household portioning errors generate 10% of meat waste.
- Manufacturing sorting rejects 12% of tomatoes pre-canning.
- Retail display overstocking wastes 11% of leafy greens weekly.
- Food service buffet losses average 30% of prepared items.
- Post-harvest rodent damage causes 5-15% grain losses in storage.
- Consumer impulse buys spoil 18% of purchased snacks.
- Processing evaporation losses in dairy are 2-4% during pasteurization.
Waste by Stage of Supply Chain Interpretation
We've engineered a remarkably intricate, multi-stage conveyor belt of inefficiency that stretches from farm to fridge, where at nearly every step we manage to lose, spill, or simply reject a perfectly good portion of our food before it ever has the chance to be eaten.
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