Report: World Wasted 1B Meals a Day in 2022

Facts

• According to the UN's latest Food Waste Index Report, households globally wasted 1B meals a day in 2022, or about 20% of the world's food output, at a time when approximately 800M people were in need of food assistance.¹
• The report found that the annual cost of food loss and waste, which generated between 8% and 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, is estimated to be worth over $1T.²
• Even though food loss and waste emit approximately five times more than aviation emissions, only 21 governments have incorporated it in their climate strategy.³
• More food is wasted in warmer regions where food spoils faster due to higher temperatures and lack of appropriate refrigeration.⁴
• The findings also suggest that rural communities waste less than urban communities in middle-income nations, while an individual typically wastes roughly 79 kilos (174 pounds) of food yearly.⁵

Sources: ¹CNBCTV18, ²Al Jazeera, ³CNN, ⁴Guardian and ⁵ABC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by UN Environment. There's a tremendous systemic global issue in the world when a third of all food is wasted in production, a third of the population suffers from food insecurity, and hundreds of millions more go hungry. Food waste also drives climate change, making it one of the 'hidden' emitters. Food should be in people's stomachs, not in landfills.
• Narrative B, as provided by Jayson Lusk. Such studies about food waste should be treated with caution. The findings are sometimes overestimated since some food waste may be used productively, such as animal feed and compost, and the value of wasted food is frequently priced at the retail level. Better defining context and definitions are vital in the global waste discourse.

Predictions