Food Waste Facts
About Food Waste
Food waste is a significant global issue. By understanding its scale and impact, we can work together to make a meaningful difference. Let's explore the facts and statistics surrounding food waste.
HOW MUCH FOOD IS WASTED GLOBALLY?
According to WWF (2021), 40% of the food that we produce globally goes to waste. This means that 2.5 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year. This equates to 80,000 kilograms of food being wasted around the world, every single second.Which food is wasted the most?
Food waste appears across almost every food category. On average across the globe, vegetables (25%), cereals (24%), and fruits (12%) are the food most wasted at home.When it comes to food waste in consumer households, vegetables, cereals and fruit are followed by roots & tubers (9%), dairy & eggs (7%) and meat & fish (6%) (Chen, 2020).
Food Waste Definition
When we discuss food waste, we refer to all food intended for human consumption that is discarded, from farm to fork.This encompasses both 'food loss' — wasted food during production and supply chains and 'food waste' — which occurs at the retail level or within consumer households.
WHAT IS SURPLUS FOOD?
Surplus food can be produced at any stage of the supply chain, from farm to fork.While surplus food itself is not waste, it often ends up being discarded. Typically, this surplus is still perfectly good food that, for various reasons, is unlikely to be sold or consumed. Utilizing surplus food effectively is a key strategy in reducing food waste.why is food waste a problem?
Food waste has an enormous impact on society, the economy and the environment. As such, reducing food waste presents a powerful opportunity to make a positive impact on climate change, the cost of living, and food accessibility.
10%
of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide
are caused by food waste(WWF, 2024)
25%
of freshwater used annually
goes into food that ultimately goes to waste(WWF, 2024)
11.5%
of all land in the world
is used annually to produce food that ultimately goes to waste. In total, this corresponds to a land area larger than China(WWF, 2024)
$1.1
TRILLION
is the amount of money lost through food waste every year(WWF, 2024)
2.4
billion people
do not have access to adequate, nutritious food(FAO, 2023)
783
million people
are affected by hunger every day (FAO, 2023)How does food waste affect the environment and climate?
As part of the process of food production, greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere. Additionally, the food system has an impact on biodiversity loss and our environmental ecosystems. When food is wasted, we do not only waste the food in front of us, we also waste all the valuable resources that have gone into creating the food. As such, food waste has a considerable impact on the environment and our planet's climate.
What are the benefits of reducing food waste?
By reducing or avoiding food waste, we help prevent harmful CO2e emissions and the unnecessary use of valuable resources such as water and land. Each meal saved from waste through Value Food prevents 2.7 kg of CO2e emissions, conserves 810 litres of water, and avoids the annual use of 2.8 m² of land.
Rescuing food from waste through Value Food offers environmental benefits on three levels:
