September 29 is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
The fifth observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste highlighted the critical need for financing to bolster efforts to reduce food loss and waste, contributing to achievement of climate goals and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Global facts and figures
• While an estimated 733 million people go hungry globally (FAO et al., 2024), food loss and waste generate 8 to 10 percent of GHGs and is a methane hotspot. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2019).
• One tonne of methane gas is estimated to be equivalent to 28 to 36 tons of carbon dioxide if looking at its impact over 100 years (IPPC, 2021).
• An estimated 13 percent of food, the equivalent of 931 million tonnes or 120 kilograms (kg) per capita, were lost in the supply chain, from after harvest, and prior to reaching retail shelves in 2021 (FAO, 2023).
• An estimated 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in households, food services and in retail in 2022, the equivalent of 132 kg per capita. (UNEP, 2024)..
• Strategies to reduce food loss and waste include adjustments in production; technological enhancements in post-harvest handling, treatment, storage and distribution; targeted interventions; information dissemination; and behavioural reminders to optimize food consumption, reduce food waste, and foster circular economy practices (FAO, 2024)..
• Opportunities to finance food loss and waste reduction and low-carbon diets remain untapped, with only USD 0.1 billion invested annually in 2019/20. This represents a minor fraction of annual needs, estimated at USD 48 to 50 billion (Climate Policy Initiative, 2023).
