The world wastes over 1 billion meals a day. This is the main finding of a report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published ahead of the International Zero Waste Day.
According to the report, 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated in 2022 which is equal to 132 kilograms per capita, and almost a fifth of all food available to consumers.
While approximately 783 million people struggle with hunger and a third of the world’s population is at “crisis” or “emergency” levels of food insecurity, in 2022 more than 1 billion meals were wasted in a single day across the globe. world.
According to recent data, food loss and waste generate 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, almost five times that of the aviation sector. The economic impact of food loss and waste is estimated at around 1,000 billion euros.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stressed that if food waste continues like this around the world, millions of people will remain hungry. “It’s a development issue, but the consequences of this unnecessary waste affect the climate and nature,” she said.
