Imagine if every third bite of food we grow never makes it to a fork, fueling a silent crisis where wasted meals create more greenhouse gases than most countries on Earth.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2019, equivalent to 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level
- Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the emissions from the aviation sector
- If food loss and waste were a country, it would rank third in greenhouse gas emissions after the USA and China
- On farms worldwide, 10-20% of produce is lost due to unharvestable portions
- In the US, 9% of food loss occurs during harvesting due to mechanical limitations
- Post-harvest losses for fruits in developing countries average 30-40%
- In the US, households waste 40% of all food produced domestically
- UK households throw away 6.4 million tonnes of food annually, 70% of which is avoidable
- In the EU, consumers waste 53 million tonnes of food yearly
- Food waste in landfills emits 1.6 billion tonnes CO2e globally per year
- Producing wasted food uses 28% of global agricultural land
- Food loss and waste guzzle 270 cubic km of water annually, worldwide
- Food waste costs global economy $1 trillion annually, including $210 billion in losses
- US food waste economic loss is $161 billion per year
- EU food waste costs €143 billion yearly to economy
The world wastes one billion tonnes of food annually, which significantly harms the planet.
Consumer and Household
- In the US, households waste 40% of all food produced domestically
- UK households throw away 6.4 million tonnes of food annually, 70% of which is avoidable
- In the EU, consumers waste 53 million tonnes of food yearly
- US consumers waste 325 pounds of food per person per year
- Australian households discard 2.5 million tonnes of food waste annually
- In Japan, 21% of rice purchased by households is wasted
- French households waste 20 kg of fruit and veg per person yearly
- Germany's per capita household food waste is 81 kg annually
- In Canada, 2.3 million tonnes of edible food is wasted at home yearly
- Italy's household food waste totals 2.9 million tonnes per year
- Sweden households waste 4.3 million kg of bread annually
- In the Netherlands, 47 kg per capita food waste from households
- Brazil urban households waste 9.5% of food purchased
- China's household food waste is 70g per person per day in cities
- In India, urban households waste 40g of food per person daily
- South Africa's households contribute 10 million tonnes to MSW, half edible
- In the US, bread is the top wasted item at 26 billion pounds yearly in homes
- UK homes waste 1.1 billion glasses of milk annually
- EU households discard 11kg of meat and fish per capita yearly
- In Australia, 20% of purchased fruit is thrown out uneaten
- Japanese households waste 6 million tonnes of food yearly
- In the US, 30% of fresh vegetables are wasted by consumers
- Retail food waste in the UK is 170,000 tonnes of bakery products annually
- Germany's consumers waste 44% of their dairy purchases
- In Canada, 51% of household food waste is fruits and vegetables
- Italy homes waste 7kg of pasta per capita yearly
- In France, 31% of food waste is 'still good to eat'
- US millennials waste 39% more food than average household
- In the UK, 'didn't like it' causes 28% of plate waste
Consumer and Household Interpretation
We have apparently mistaken our pantries and refrigerators for landfills, stuffing them with the best of intentions only to later perform a costly and spectacularly wasteful tribute to our own indecision, gluttony, and neglect.
Economic and Policy Implications
- Food waste costs global economy $1 trillion annually, including $210 billion in losses
- US food waste economic loss is $161 billion per year
- EU food waste costs €143 billion yearly to economy
- UK food waste value at purchase is £19 billion annually
- Global retail food waste losses $400 billion USD yearly
- In the US, reducing food waste could save households $1,500 yearly
- Brazil food waste economic cost is R$70 billion annually
- France food waste costs €16 billion per year
- Germany's food waste economic value is €20 billion yearly
- India food waste losses Rs 92,000 crores annually
- Australia's food waste costs $20 billion AUD per year
- Japan's food waste economic loss is ¥2.5 trillion yearly
- Canada's food waste costs $49 billion CAD over 10 years
- Italy food waste value is €12 billion annually
- Netherlands food waste economic cost €5.3 billion yearly
- China urban food waste costs 240 billion CNY yearly
- South Africa food waste economic loss R61.5 billion annually
- Global policy savings from halving food waste by 2030: $300-550 billion
- US farm-level losses cost producers $15 billion yearly
- EU policy on food waste could save €6.7 billion in GHG costs
- UK's Courtauld 2025 aims to cut waste saving £1 billion by 2025
- In France, anti-waste law recovers 10,000 tonnes food weekly, saving €100m
- India's FSSAI guidelines could save Rs 50,000 crore yearly
Economic and Policy Implications Interpretation
Our collective habit of treating the world's larder like a disposable income is a trillion-dollar diet of pure, unadulterated fiscal nonsense.
Environmental Consequences
- Food waste in landfills emits 1.6 billion tonnes CO2e globally per year
- Producing wasted food uses 28% of global agricultural land
- Food loss and waste guzzle 270 cubic km of water annually, worldwide
- Wasted food accounts for 23% of freshwater used in agriculture
- Globally, food waste methane from landfills equals 4% of human emissions
- US food waste contributes 170 million tonnes CO2e yearly
- EU food waste equals 186 million tonnes CO2e emissions
- Wasted food production uses 21% of global cropland
- Food waste generates 8% of global GHG, more than all road transport
- In the US, wasted food water footprint is 113 trillion gallons yearly
- Global food waste pollutes 300 million cubic meters of water yearly
- Landfilled food waste in landfills leaches nutrients harming 20% of rivers
- Producing uneaten food causes 10% of ocean acidification from CO2
- Food waste deforestation links to 16% of Amazon soy production waste
- UK food waste GHG footprint is 25 million tonnes CO2e yearly
- Global wasted food energy equals 3,300 TWh electricity yearly
- Food waste contributes to 50% of methane from organic waste globally
- In Brazil, wasted food uses 10 million hectares of land yearly
- EU wasted produce fertilizers pollute 15% of groundwater nitrates
- Global food waste biodiversity loss from 25% wasted habitat crops
- US food waste landfill volume is 66 million tons yearly
- Wasted food fisheries deplete 10% of global fish stocks indirectly
- In India, food waste GHG is 7% of national emissions
- Food waste incineration releases 1.5 million tonnes NOx globally
- Global wasted food cropland equals size of China yearly
Environmental Consequences Interpretation
Our planet is essentially farming China, burning the world’s fleet of cars, and poisoning its own water supply just to make a gargantuan landfill sandwich that nobody gets to eat.
Global Overview
- Globally, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2019, equivalent to 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level
- Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the emissions from the aviation sector
- If food loss and waste were a country, it would rank third in greenhouse gas emissions after the USA and China
- Worldwide, 59 million tonnes of food are wasted annually at retail level
- Global food waste per capita is 121 kg per year for consumers and retailers combined
- In 2022, the UNEP Food Waste Index estimated that 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste was generated globally
- Food loss and waste account for 25% of all fresh water used in agriculture globally
- Globally, 28% of agricultural land is used to produce food that is later lost or wasted
- The total volume of food loss and waste in 2016 was estimated at 1.3 billion tonnes
- Food waste contributes to 6% of total human-caused methane emissions worldwide
- Per capita food waste in Europe and North America averages 95-115 kg per year
- In sub-Saharan Africa, food loss during post-harvest handling reaches up to 40% for grains
- Global retail and consumer food waste totals 931 million tonnes annually
- Food loss and waste represent a missed opportunity to feed 828 million hungry people globally
- Worldwide, 13% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail
- In 2021, global food waste embodied 170 cubic kilometers of water
- Food waste generates 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions yearly
- Globally, fruits and vegetables account for 45% of total food loss and waste
- Dairy products represent 16% of global food waste by weight at consumer level
- Cereals make up 44% of food losses in developing countries during production
- Global fish and seafood loss is estimated at 35% of total catch
- Roots and tubers experience 45% loss rates in low-income countries post-harvest
- Oilseeds and pulses have 20% average loss globally in supply chains
- Meat and animal products contribute 12% to global food waste volume
- Global food waste costs $1 trillion USD annually in economic terms
- 38% of global food loss and waste occurs at consumer level
- Supply chain losses account for 14% of global food production
- In high-income countries, 40% of food waste happens at home
- Low-income regions lose 30% of food before it reaches markets
- Globally, 20% of dairy production is wasted
Global Overview Interpretation
If food waste were a formal guest at humanity's dinner table, its staggering appetite—devouring a third of the world's supply while belching out enough emissions to be the planet's third-largest polluting nation—would be the most grotesquely impolite and ecocidal party crasher in history.
Production and Supply Chain
- On farms worldwide, 10-20% of produce is lost due to unharvestable portions
- In the US, 9% of food loss occurs during harvesting due to mechanical limitations
- Post-harvest losses for fruits in developing countries average 30-40%
- Grain losses during drying and storage reach 15% in humid climates globally
- In India, 20% of rice is lost post-harvest due to poor storage
- EU vegetable processing losses average 12% due to trimming and defects
- US meat processing waste is 18% of production volume
- Brazil's soybean losses during transport are 5-10%
- In Africa, 30% of mangoes are lost due to inadequate cooling post-harvest
- Chinese apple supply chain losses total 25% from farm to wholesale
- UK bakery production overproduction leads to 10% waste
- Global fisheries discard 8 million tonnes annually at sea
- In the Netherlands, 11% of potatoes are lost during sorting and grading
- Australian wine grape losses post-harvest are 15% due to quality rejection
- Thailand's rice milling losses average 8-12%
- In Italy, 20% of tomatoes are discarded at packing houses for cosmetic reasons
- Canadian dairy farm losses are 5% due to animal health issues
- Egypt's onion storage losses reach 30% in traditional facilities
- In the US, 5% of fresh produce is lost in distribution due to spoilage
- Global cocoa bean losses during fermentation and drying are 10%
- France's bread production waste is 15% at bakeries
- In Kenya, 40% of bananas are lost post-harvest due to bruising
- US seafood processing waste totals 20% of landings
- India's wheat losses in transport are 4-6%
- In Europe, 7% of food is wasted in manufacturing due to specs
- Vietnam's coffee cherry losses post-harvest are 20%
- In the UK, 25% of fresh produce is rejected at borders for quality
- Brazil's sugar cane losses during harvest are 12%
Production and Supply Chain Interpretation
Our planet's bounty is being chiseled down at every stage, from field to fork, by a relentless parade of avoidable losses, which means we're essentially farming, fishing, and baking one-fifth of our food just to throw it away.
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