In 2022, more than 1 billion meals were wasted around the world every day, while 783 million people went hungry and a third of humanity faced food insecurity. Food waste continues to damage the global economy and fuel climate change, damage nature and produce pollution. These are the main findings of the latest UNEP report, the United Nations Environment Programme, published in view of the International Zero Waste Day on 30 March.
The Food Waste Index Report 2024, compiled by UNEP in collaboration with WRAP, provides the most accurate global estimate of food waste at the retail and consumer habits level. It provides guidance to countries on how to improve data collection and suggests best practices for moving from measurement to reduction of food waste.
According to the report, 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste (including inedible parts) were generated in 2022, equivalent to 132 kilograms per capita and almost a fifth of all food available to consumers. 60% of the waste occurred at the household level, 28% in food services and 12% in retail.
“Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions of people suffer from hunger today because food is wasted around the world,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Not only is this a major development issue, as the impacts of this unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature. The good news is that we know that if countries prioritize this issue, they can significantly reverse food loss and waste, reduce climate impacts and economic losses, and accelerate progress towards global goals.”
Since 2021, there has been a strengthening of the data infrastructure with more studies tracking food waste. Globally, the number of household-level data has nearly doubled. However, many low- and middle-income countries continue to lack adequate systems to monitor progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving food waste by 2030, particularly in retail and food services.
Only four G20 countries (Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) and the European Union have food waste estimates suitable for monitoring progress to 2030. Canada and Saudi Arabia have adequate household estimates, with the Brazil expected by the end of 2024. In this context, the report serves as a practical guide for countries to consistently measure and report food waste.
The data confirms that food waste is not just a problem of “rich countries”, with household food waste levels differing in average levels observed for high-income, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries by just 7kg per capita . At the same time, warmer countries appear to generate more food waste per capita in households, potentially due to greater consumption of fresh foods with substantial inedible parts and the lack of robust cold chains.
According to recent data, food losses and waste generate 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – almost 5 times those of the aviation sector – and a significant loss of biodiversity, absorbing the equivalent of almost a third of global emissions. The toll of food loss and waste on the global economy is estimated at approximately $1 trillion.
Urban areas are expected to particularly benefit from efforts to strengthen food waste reduction and circularity. In fact, rural areas generally waste less food and the most likely explanation is a greater use of leftovers for animals, livestock and home composting.
As of 2022, only 21 countries have included reducing food loss and/or waste in their national climate plans (NDCs). The 2025 NDC review process offers a key opportunity to raise climate ambitions by mainstreaming food loss and waste. The Food Waste Index Report highlights the urgency of addressing food waste at both an individual and systemic level.
Strong baselines and regular measurements are needed for countries to show changes over time. Through the implementation of policies and partnerships, countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom demonstrate that large-scale change is possible, with reductions of 31% and 18% respectively.
“With the huge costs to the environment, society and global economies caused by food waste, we need more coordinated action across continents and supply chains. We support UNEP in calling on more G20 countries to measure food waste and work towards SDG12.3,” said Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP. “This is critical to ensuring food feeds people and not landfills. Public-private partnerships are a key tool that delivers results today, but they require support: whether philanthropic, corporate or government, actors must mobilize in support of programs that address the enormous impact that food waste has on food security, on our climate and our wallets.”
UNEP continues to monitor progress at the national level to halve food waste by 2030, with an increasing focus on solutions that go beyond measurement towards reduction. One such solution is systemic action through public-private partnerships (PPPs): bringing the public, private and non-governmental sectors to collaborate and identify bottlenecks, co-develop solutions and drive progress. Adequate funding can enable PPPs to reduce food waste from farm to fork, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water stress, while sharing best practices and encouraging innovation for long-term, holistic change. Food loss and waste PPPs are growing around the world, including in Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and the United Kingdom, where they helped reduce more than a quarter of household food waste per capita between 2007-2018 .
