September 29: Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day.
Every year, nearly a third of the food produced worldwide never reaches our plates ; it is lost or wasted along the food chain. This paradox is all the more shocking given that hundreds of millions of people still suffer from hunger around the globe. In 2022, it was estimated that 783 million people were undernourished , even as more than 1 billion tons of food ended up in the trash that same year.
September 29th has been proclaimed International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day by the United Nations to draw public attention to the scale of food waste and encourage concrete action to address it. In this article, we explain the reasons for the creation of this global day, the key statistics on food waste, its environmental, economic, and social impacts, and solutions, from individual citizens to local authorities, for taking action every day. Vegetable peelings and food scraps destined for compost or the trash: every day, tons of perfectly edible food end up as waste, hence the urgent need to raise awareness about food waste.
Why an International Day Against Food Waste?
Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, it addresses growing concerns about the scale of food waste and its consequences. Globally, approximately 13% of food produced is lost before even reaching stores (during harvesting, storage, and transport), and nearly 17 to 19% of total food production is wasted by retailers, restaurants, and households.
To take a concrete example: In Europe, it is estimated that each inhabitant wastes an average of 173 kg of food per year , much of which is avoidable. These figures illustrate the scale of the challenge and explain the need for a world day dedicated to this problem: the aim is to raise awareness of the urgent need to act at all levels, from farm to fork.
An invisible environmental disaster
Beyond the sheer waste of food, food loss and waste place a considerable environmental burden . Producing food that will never be consumed mobilizes enormous natural resources for nothing: agricultural land (approximately 30% of arable land is used to grow food that will be wasted), astronomical quantities of fresh water, energy, fertilizers, and countless hours of labor… all of which end up in the trash. Food waste also contributes significantly to climate change : it is estimated that food loss and waste generate 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be one of the top three CO₂ emitters , after China and the United States. In landfills, rotting food emits methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas. By comparison, the pollution caused by food waste represents nearly five times the emissions of all global air traffic. Finally, this food waste exacerbates the degradation of biodiversity : for nothing, we will have exhausted the soil, fished the oceans, or cut down forests to produce this food that ultimately goes uneaten. Reducing food waste therefore appears as a crucial lever for protecting the planet: it is a fully-fledged climate solution
A huge economic waste
Throwing away food is also throwing away money . The economic impact of food waste amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars lost each year. According to UN estimates, the value of wasted food represents approximately $750 billion annually (not even counting environmental impacts, which are more difficult to quantify). For producers, it means lost harvests; for agribusinesses and distributors, it means wasted investments, time, and energy; for consumers, it means money spent on food that will end up in the trash. On a national scale, such food waste weighs heavily on the economy and food security . Losses reduce the supply of food available on the market, which can contribute to rising prices. In turn, this affects household purchasing power and the access of the poorest to sufficient food. Halving global food waste by 2030 is one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (target 12.3 of the 2030 Agenda). Achieving this goal would generate enormous savings and free up resources to fight world hunger more effectively.
Significant social consequences
From a social and humanitarian perspective, food waste is a moral outrage . Every portion of food thrown away represents a meal that could have fed someone in need. Yet, even today, millions of families suffer from malnutrition or food insecurity around the world.
Reducing food waste alone would certainly not be enough to eradicate hunger, which is a complex problem, but it could make a significant contribution by making more food available where it is lacking. For example, it has been calculated that saving just a quarter of all the food wasted worldwide could feed approximately 870 million people, more than enough to eliminate current hunger. Food waste also reveals inequalities : in wealthy countries, food is thrown away because production and consumption exceed needs, while in other regions, entire communities lack basic necessities. is a matter of equity and social justice . Finally, even at the local level, food waste has social consequences: for example, unsold food could benefit charities that help the most vulnerable. Aware of this, France was a pioneer with the Garot law of 2016 which prohibits supermarkets from throwing away edible food and obliges them to enter into donation agreements with charities to redistribute these unsold items.
This type of legislative initiative, now being implemented in other countries, demonstrates that it is possible to mobilize solidarity to transform waste into a useful resource for the most vulnerable. In short, fighting food waste not only protects the environment and the economy, but also strengthens solidarity and works towards a future where no one goes hungry due to lack of access to food.
Taking action at all levels: solutions for everyone
Good news: each of us can contribute to the fight against food waste, and solutions are emerging at every stage of the supply chain. Here are some concrete actions that citizens , businesses , and communities :
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- Citizens (at home): We can all adopt simple anti-waste habits in our daily lives. For example, better planning our shopping and meals to buy only what we need, learning to cook with leftovers and make the most of what's in the fridge, understanding expiration dates ("best before" doesn't mean the food is no longer good after that date!), storing food properly (refrigeration, freezing) to prolong its freshness, or even accepting "ugly" fruits and vegetables that are just as good. Every little bit helps: serving smaller portions to avoid throwing away uneaten food, composting peelings and organic waste, or giving away products we won't eat (to neighbors, friends, or through food donation apps) are all simple ways to reduce waste at the household level. By changing our consumption habits, we also send a message to other players in the food chain.
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- Businesses (production, distribution, and food service) : Professionals have a key role to play in reducing losses throughout the supply chain. In agriculture, this involves improved harvesting and storage techniques to prevent products from spoiling before reaching the market. In the food processing industry and large retailers, optimizing inventory management and logistics minimizes unsold goods; many retailers set up sections or baskets of discounted products at the end of the day to sell off items nearing their expiration date. Supermarkets, for their part, can partner with food banks to donate their unsold goods daily rather than throwing them away (as required by law in France). In the food service sector (restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, etc.), numerous initiatives are emerging: adjusting portion sizes, offering customers the option to take home leftovers (doggy bags), and measuring and analyzing food waste to identify areas for improvement. New technologies are providing a welcome boost: mobile apps that connect businesses with suppliers to buy unsold food at low prices (such as TooGoodToGo, Phenix, etc.), or connected kitchen equipment that tracks food waste in real time, allowing companies to adjust orders and menus accordingly. These innovations help businesses gain a clearer understanding of their food waste and address it in a targeted way, while also saving money.
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- Local authorities and public bodies : Local authorities (municipalities, regions) and national governments can create an environment conducive to reducing food waste. This involves awareness campaigns (for example, in schools and colleges, through educational programs on sustainable food) to instill good practices from a young age. Municipalities can encourage or organize anti-waste events: cooking workshops using leftovers, solidarity banquets using unsold food, anti-waste competitions in school cafeterias, etc. Public authorities also have the power to incentivize or mandate certain measures: for example, implementing separate sorting and collection of biowaste (kitchen waste) so that it can be used for composting or biogas production rather than sent to landfills, or establishing subsidies and rewards for retailers and restaurants that are exemplary in their efforts to reduce food waste. Laws like the one adopted in France in 2016 can be replicated elsewhere to require supermarkets to redistribute unsold food to charities . Internationally, governments are encouraged to set food waste reduction targets aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to share best practices. Finally, local authorities can support innovation and local projects: helping to create food donation platforms, supporting community food banks, or funding studies to understand food waste in their area. In short, public policymakers have the power to guide the whole of society into a virtuous cycle where avoiding waste becomes easier and more natural.
Raising awareness to better change behaviors
As we can see, technical solutions and best practices exist; however, nothing will fundamentally change without a shift in mindsets. This is where awareness-raising . By openly discussing food waste and its consequences, we break the taboo surrounding "throwaway" and make everyone realize the value of food. The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, held every September 29th, plays a crucial role in this regard. Around the world, this day provides an opportunity to public awareness
The media are reporting on it, schools are organizing special activities, businesses are communicating their commitments, and citizens are sharing tips and recipes to reduce food waste. This annual focus highlights positive initiatives and celebrates progress made, while also reminding us of the road ahead. Above all, ongoing awareness-raising, not just on September 29th, but throughout the year, is essential to establishing new habits. Changing our food consumption habits requires time and educational efforts. For example, it's about teaching consumers to distinguish between a "use by" date (beyond which food may be unsafe) and a "best before" date (after which a product remains safe to eat, even if it may lose some quality). This education would help prevent a significant amount of household waste caused by food being thrown away unnecessarily. Similarly, socially valuing anti-waste behaviors—praising diners who finish their plates, promoting the image of chefs who use every part of an ingredient, etc.—helps change social norms . In short, raising awareness inspires action . The more people understand the impact of their actions and the benefits of a zero-waste diet, the more motivated they will be to adopt responsible practices and demand broader change.
Towards a zero-waste future: innovating and committing together
The fight against food waste is a societal challenge, but it is also a tremendous opportunity to build a more sustainable, equitable, and efficient food system. By reducing our losses, we could better feed the world's population, ease the pressure on ecosystems and the climate, and achieve significant savings. This is a fight that gives everyone a role: from field to plate, every link in the chain can contribute. Momentum is building everywhere: citizens are inventing new zero-waste recipes and sharing their tips, startups are developing technologies to optimize food management, farmers and distributors are rethinking their practices, and governments are setting ambitious roadmaps to end waste. While much remains to be done to reach the UN's goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 (SDG 12.3), progress is tangible. Above all, there is a growing awareness: wasting less is becoming a shared value, a kind of "new courtesy" towards the planet and humanity. By changing our perspective on food, by respecting it for its true worth, we are also shifting our societal model towards greater sustainability. Finally, the rise of innovative solutions offers hope.
The latest legislation adopted by the European Parliament in September 2025 is part of this momentum and sets ambitious, binding EU-wide targets for reducing food waste by 2030. Each Member State will have to reduce waste by 20% at the processing and manufacturing stage, and by 40% in distribution and food service, compared to 2020. This legislation represents a major political step forward and sends a strong signal to stakeholders in the agri-food sector, encouraging them to accelerate their transition to more sustainable practices. It echoes the efforts of committed companies like Kikleo, which already offer concrete solutions to achieve these ambitious targets and effectively combat waste on a daily basis.
For example, at Kikleo , we offer technological tools to help restaurants and canteens reduce their food waste: thanks to connected scales and precise tracking of kitchen losses, these establishments can identify where they are wasting food and take targeted measures to improve the situation. This type of initiative is consistent with everything we've discussed: it demonstrates that everyone can take action at their own level, and that with creativity, a problem can be transformed into an opportunity for progress. (To learn more about Kikleo's solutions, you can visit their website.)
On this International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day, let's remember that every little helps. Let's fight food waste together – for people, for the planet, and for future generations. As the UN slogan says: "Stop food waste. For people. For the planet." It's up to us to make this goal a reality, one step at a time, plate by plate. Together, let's learn to appreciate every piece of bread and every piece of fruit for what it is, and build a future where no food is produced in vain. Together, let's end food waste!
