The world wasted 19 percent of the total food production globally in the year 2022 or about 1.05 billion tonnes. This information has been given in a United Nations report. The UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index report, published on Wednesday, monitors countries’ progress in halving food waste by 2030.
Competition increased in 2019
The UN said the number of countries reporting for the index has almost doubled since the first report in 2021. The 2021 report estimates that 17 percent, or 931 million tons, of food produced globally in 2019 was wasted. But the authors cautioned against direct comparisons due to the lack of adequate data from many countries.
UNEP and WRAP prepared report
The report has been prepared by UNEP and the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), an international charity. The researchers analyzed country data on households, food service and retailers. They found that each person wastes about 79 kilograms (about 174 pounds) of food annually, which is equivalent to at least one billion food plates wasted every day worldwide.
Most of such waste – 60 percent – comes from households. Food service or restaurants accounted for about 28 percent of this, while retailers accounted for 12 percent. Its co-author Clementine O’Connor said it is a complex problem, but through collaboration and systemic action, it can be tackled. The report comes at a time when 783 million people worldwide face severe hunger. And the food crisis is deepening in many places.
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