About 1.05 bn tons of food were wasted around the world in 2022, according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 (pdf). Households were responsible for the majority of food waste at 60%, while food service and retail contributed 28% and 12%, respectively. Daily household food waste has been found to reach the equivalent of about 1 bn meals, with this estimate likely on the lower end of the actual number.

Food waste is “an environmental failure”: Food waste accounts for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, takes up the equivalent of 30% of agricultural land, and contributes to major biodiversity and habitat loss. Converting natural ecosystems for agricultural practices is the leading cause of habitat loss.

Increased food waste can raise temperatures: Per capita household food waste is positively correlated with average temperatures around the world, the report found. This trend persists across different income groups, except for low-income countries where data coverage is more sparse.

And hotter countries generate more waste: Several possible factors could contribute to the higher rates of household food waste in hotter countries, including that the majority of developing countries — which are more likely to cook from scratch compared to buying processed foods — are located in those hotter regions and therefore have a higher share of inedible waste. Additionally, food spoils more quickly in warmer climates, and lack of access to infrastructure like refrigerators or cold chain facilities impacts food preservation and thus quantities of waste.

Most countries lack data to track progress on food waste: Only a few G20 countries — including Australia, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU — have suitable food waste estimates and data to track progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 (to cut per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels in half and reduce losses throughout the supply chain) by 2030. Brazil is also amongst the countries working on developing a reliable baseline to measure food waste, while the rest fall behind. However, as a collective of major economies, the G20, the G20 can influence global consumer behavior and encourage sustainable consumption if it sets an example and promotes waste reduction, the report argues.

Food waste is a major blow to the global economy too: The total cost of food waste and loss has reached over USD 1 tn per year, representing more than one-third of global food production. This waste also uses up over a quarter of the world's agricultural land, which could be used to expand farming practices and commodity supplies. This level of waste leads to food insecurity, affecting up to 783 mn people in 2022.

Urban areas are bigger contributors: Countries with data for both urban and rural areas often find less waste in rural regions, due to better recycling of food scraps in rural areas, according to the report. This poses problems for over half of the global population who reside in urban areas, especially as food waste is predicted to continue to rise in the future. Cities will therefore need much more support to develop similar circular food systems as rural areas, the report suggests, adding that public-private partnerships — collaboration between stakeholders from different stages of the supply chain — to address fragmentation in the food system are one of the most effective approaches and have shown to help reduce costs and food insecurity, the report concludes.

How is our region faring? North African nations studied include Tunisia which produces 172 kg of waste annually per household, Egypt at 163 kg, Sudan at 116 kg, Algeria at 113 kg, Morocco at 113 kg, and Libya at 84 kg. Estimates for Northern Africa, are based on data that was identified from three countries with a total of eight data points, six of which come from across six different regions in Egypt.

The UAE is planning to cut food waste in half by 2030: The goal to halve food waste by 2030 was set by UAE's food loss and waste initiative Ne'ma established in 2022. The initiative works on coordinating with government agencies, the private sector, non-government organizations and civil society to achieve its goal.

KSA is also tackling its waste issue: Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest producer of food waste, intends to recycle up to 95% of its waste compared to its current rate of 3-4%, which is one of the lowest in the world. The new targets will see the Environment, Water and Agriculture Ministry (MEWA) recycling c. 100 mn tons of waste annually and is forecast to add SAR 120 bn to the GDP.

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