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Aiming for SDG 12.3: The global effort to reduce food waste.

Content Editor: Dr. Urmimala

April 1, 2024 at 2:00:00 PM

Environmental Health, Hunger, SDG

Content Editor: Dr. Urmimala

  • Citing Japan and the UK as examples of reducing food waste generation, UNEP suggests embracing a Target-Measure-Act approach to overcome the challenges and bridge the fragmented food system.

  • The key highlights of the Food Waste Index Report 2024 are:

  1. The world has generated food waste amounting to more than 1 billion tonnes, constituting around one-fifth of the total food available to consumers.

  2. The majority of the contribution to food waste is from households (60%), with the rest coming from food service and retail sectors.

  3. One person wastes approximately 80 kg of food annually, equating to 1.3 meals per day for every hungry individual across the world.

  4. The waste generated differs by 7 kg/capita/year across high, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries.

  5. Food waste contributes to 8-10 % of greenhouse gas emissions.

  6. Countries in tropical or hotter climate regions generate more food waste, attributed to the consumption of fresh foods and a lack of a proper cold chain.

  • The report aims to encourage countries to direct efforts toward decreasing food waste generated both at individual and system levels.

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