UNITED NATIONS REPORT CLAIMS ALMOST A FIFTH OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD IS THROWN AWAY

PUBLISHING DATE
March 10, 2021
CATEGORIES

New research presented to the United Nations by Wrap has found that nearly 100 million tonnes, or 17% of total food available to consumers in 2019, went into the waste bins of households, retailers, restaurants and other food services.

The Food Waste Index Report 2021, released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), found nearly every country that measured food waste showed most of it came from households, which discard 11% of the total food available at the consumption stage of the supply chain.

The research found on a global per capita level, 121kg of consumer-level food was wasted each year, with 74kg of this happening in households.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UNEP, says: “Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession.

“If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste. The UN Food Systems Summit this year will provide an opportunity to launch bold new actions to tackle food waste globally.”


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