Shocking Data of Global Food Waste on International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2022

 

Food loss has become a critical multifaceted problem facing not just India but the whole world right now. Global food waste has an enormous social, economic and environmental impact, too. Food waste is a huge source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and wasted natural resources. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates this wasted food is worth $230 billion.

An estimated 931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019, enough to circle the Earth seven times, according to a UN report which said that household food waste in India is about 68.7 million tonnes a year.

Statistics show that the global food waste management market accounted for $26.86 billion in 2017 and is projected to reach $55.34 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period.

According to United Nations Food Waste Index Report 2021, from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partner organisation WRAP, one-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted which amounts to 1.3 billion tonnes per year and in India this number is around 40% which translates into 7.5 billion dollars loss in GDP.

It means, food waste remains a serious cause for global concern. However, people are still ignoring the problem.

Food wastage in India,

India ranks 97th among 118 countries in Global Hunger Index 2016 with nearly 200 million Indians sleeping hungry on any given night.

As per one data, the average person in India wastes 137 grams of food every single day. That’s 0.96 kg per week or 50 kg per year. In India, 40% of the food is wasted which is equivalent to Rs 92,000 crores a year.

A study by the Food Ministry, Government of India found that about 20% of food at social events goes waste. Globally, India currently ranks 7th in terms of overall food wastage. Food waste is a serious problem in India, till today.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s Environment Status Report 2020-21, of the 6,500-6,800 metric tonnes of solid waste generated daily by Mumbai, as much as 72.6 percent is food waste. It makes up close to three-fourths of all waste that was collected and disposed of in the last financial year.

Some eye-opening facts of global food waste,

The UN report looks at food waste that occurs in retail outlets, restaurants and homes - counting both food and inedible parts like bones and shells and presents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date.

931 million tonnes of food waste was generated in 2019, sixty-one per cent of which came from households, 26 per cent from food service and 13 per cent from retail.

It finds that in nearly every country that has measured food waste, it was substantial, regardless of income level.

Food wastage also means the wastage of resources that had gone into producing it like energy, land, water, man power and various other inputs. It is estimated that 35% of fresh water used to produce the food is wasted and 45% of India’s land is degraded due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices and excessive ground water extraction to meet the food demand.

These changes negatively impact crop yields, reduce the nutritional quality of crops, cause supply chain disruptions and threaten food security. Yet this is only one side of the problem with its flip side more devastating; there is an urgent need to accelerate action to reduce FLW.

In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that 1.3 gigatons of edible food is wasted each year, and this releases 3.3 gigatons of CO2 equivalent.

The energy spent over wasted food results in 3.3 billion tonnes of Co2 production which leads to serious environmental repercussions. 33% of global carbon emissions are created by growing and producing food alone.

The level of food waste is expected to rise by another third by 2030. 

If food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, right after China and the United States.

The United Nations has set a goal to half food waste. This would reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions by a massive 1.5 gigatons per year, which is more than the current emissions of Japan itself.

The sad truth is that one-third of the food grown is never eaten. It is wasted.

The amount of food wasted in the U.S. translates into 90 billion meals’ that could be served.US EPA estimates suggest that food waste makes up the largest single category of waste reaching landfills in the US. It accounted for 24 percent of all landfilled and 22 percent of incinerated solid waste in 2018

All starving people in the world (over 811 million people) could be fed by less than a quarter of the food lost or wasted in the US and Europe alone.

Every day the equivalent of 20 million slices of bread are thrown away in UK homes. This could have fed breakfast to 10 million people.

Food waste costs the United States roughly 2% of its GDP, the same happens in Canada.

Mission of IDAFLW- 'Say No To Food Waste'

To create change towards the worrying trend of food wastage, the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) will be observed for the third time on 29 September 2022. The day is used to remind both people and the private sector to be innovative and reduce the amount of food wastage, and ultimately build a resilient food system. The efforts by the United Nations are made through its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which focuses on reducing hunger and improving nutrition.

"Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food. Our food systems cannot be resilient if they are not sustainable, hence the need to focus on the adoption of integrated approaches designed to reduce food loss and waste"-UN said.

Perfect way to start reducing the amount of food we throw away,

1. Donate to a food bank

2. Shop smart (buy less food)

3. Work with what you’ve got

4. Store food properly

5. Serve sensible portion

6. Reuse, recycle