More than 1 billion food go to waste: UNEP
By Pioneer Publication | posted 28/03/24
Over 1.05 billion tons of food waste were generated by households worldwide in 2022, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said through its Food Waste Index Report 2024 on Wednesday, March 27.
The said report, in collaboration with WRAP, a global non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the United Kingdom, says “that there were 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste generated (including inedible parts)” in the same year. To dissect, every person wasted 132 kgs of food, equivalent to 19% or almost one-fifth (1/5) of the entire food available to consumers. Of it, 60% was from the household level, “with food services responsible for 28% and retail, 12%,” the report added.
Additionally, 783 million people were affected by hunger and a third of humanity faced food insecurity, the report also adds. It also stated that roughly US$ 1 billion worth of food went to waste.
Food wastage a “global tragedy”: UNEP
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, said that massive food waste generation is a “global tragedy.” “Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world.”
He added that it also costs the environment and climate on a global scale, as this is not only a “major development issue.” “The good news is we know if countries prioritize this issue, they can significantly reverse food loss and waste, reduce climate impacts and economic losses, and accelerate progress on global goals,” he added.
Food waste not only a “rich-country problem”; food waste also due to temperature and season
The report also confirmed that food waste is not only a “rich country problem.” Furthermore, high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income countries vary in average levels of household food waste by just seven (7) kilograms per capita (person) per year.
“In middle-income countries, for example, rural areas are generally wasting less. One possible explanation is in the recycling of food scraps for pets, animal feed, and home composting in the countryside,” the UN News added.
The report also found that temperature and season have to do with food waste generation. “At the same time, hotter countries appear to generate more food waste per capita in households, potentially due to higher consumption of fresh foods with substantial inedible parts and a lack of robust cold chains,” the report says.
Food waste contributes environmental impact more than aviation, takes up agri lands
The report also says that food waste releases huge greenhouse gas emissions more than those emitted by the aviation sector, and contributes to “significant biodiversity loss.”
“Food loss and waste generates 8–10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — almost 5 times that of the aviation sector — and significant biodiversity loss by taking up the equivalent of almost a third of the world’s agricultural land.”
Solutions to food waste emphasized
The report also reiterated the need for public-private partnerships as well as “greater coordinated action across continents and supply chains.”
“This is critical to ensuring food feeds people, not landfills. Public-private partnerships are one key tool delivering results today, but they require support: whether philanthropic, business, or governmental, actors must rally behind programs addressing the enormous impact wasting food has on food security, our climate, and our wallets,” says Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP.
Philippines food waste lower than 2021 data
Meanwhile, Filipino households wasted nearly 3 million tons of food a year, down sharply from 2021 totals. Additionally, Philippine household food waste amounted to 2.95 million tonnes a year, or 26 kilograms (kg) per capita (person).
The 2024 report finding is 68.35% lower than the 9.33 million tons/year reported in 2021.
In an interview with business news media BusinessWorld, Ateneo De Manila economics professor Leonardo A. Lanzona says the decrease was “due to improved distribution facilities like farm-to-market roads and storage.”
The Philippine Statistics Authority Food reported that inflation in February increased to 4.8% from 3.3% in January, mainly due to rice prices.
In a 2023 report from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), rice, vegetables, and meat were the top three most wasted foods among Filipino households. The study showed that 39% of Filipino families had rice waste, 11% had vegetable waste, and 8% had meat waste. (RF)
