The world wasted about 931 million metric tons of food in 2019 — an average of 121 kilograms per person. That’s about 17 percent of all food that was available to consumers that year, a new United Nations report estimates.
“Throwing away food de facto means throwing away the resources that went into its production,” said Martina Otto, who leads the U.N. Environment Program’s work on cities, during a news conference. “If food waste ends up in landfills, it does not feed people, but it does feed climate change.”
Some 690 million people are impacted by hunger each year, and over 3 billion people can’t afford a healthy diet. Meanwhile, lost and wasted food accounts for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Throwing away food de facto means throwing away the resources that went into its production,” said Martina Otto, who leads the U.N. Environment Program’s work on cities, during a news conference. “If food waste ends up in landfills, it does not feed people, but it does feed climate change.”
Some 690 million people are impacted by hunger each year, and over 3 billion people can’t afford a healthy diet. Meanwhile, lost and wasted food accounts for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
