Food waste around the world
On March 27, 2024, the United Nations Development Programme highlighted an alarming reality: “Households on all continents wasted more than one billion meals a day in 2022.” This is a particularly worrying fact when one considers that globally, 783 million people suffer from malnutrition.
Food waste accounts for approximately 20% of the food available worldwide . Food losses occur throughout the supply chain, from agricultural harvesting to transportation and processing. According to the FAO , about one-third of all food produced is wasted, including 45% of fruits and vegetables produced and 20% of meat and poultry.
And the impacts of this waste go far beyond the simple loss of food. Economically, it costs governments nearly a billion dollars each year, a sum that could be better used to combat hunger and improve food infrastructure. Furthermore, food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for between 8 and 10% of the global total.
Who is responsible for food waste?
Are consumers solely responsible?
In developed countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the distribution or consumption level, and 32% is lost during agricultural production. In France, 32% of food waste occurs during production and 33% at the consumption level (restaurants and households).
Large retailers
Supermarkets occupy a key position in the food supply chain, but they are also responsible for significant waste, with an average of 20 kilos of food thrown away per supermarket every day. This waste stems from various factors:
1. The strict aesthetic standards imposed, for example, on fruits and vegetables to meet the standards of supermarkets, as well as the requirements for product shelf life.
2. The need to respect the seasonality of products, which leads to unsold surpluses after specific periods such as the end-of-year holidays.
3. The desire to maintain a large stock to avoid stockouts and satisfy all types of consumers
4. Consumer habits also influence food waste.
Catering
Institutional catering plays a crucial role in the fight against food waste. In France, this sector generates approximately 540,000 tons of food waste each year. Present in various settings such as university restaurants (CROUS), businesses, hospitals, school cafeterias, and prisons, institutional catering is omnipresent in our daily lives. This widespread presence gives it a significant responsibility in raising awareness and educating our fellow citizens about the issues surrounding food waste.
By changing behaviors and promoting better practices, institutional catering can significantly contribute to reducing food waste. For more details on this topic, we invite you to consult our article: “Why is food waste the major challenge for institutional catering? ”
Agricultural production
Food waste is the first type of waste in the food chain. An estimated 13.8% of global agricultural production is thrown away before it is even consumed, representing $400 billion worth of agricultural products . These losses can result from various causes, such as overproduction linked to market and demand fluctuations, products downgraded due to strict aesthetic standards, and external factors like weather conditions or epidemics. Furthermore, problems with preservation and storage also contribute to food waste at this stage of the food chain.
Companies
Businesses also contribute to food waste, primarily because it is often cheaper for them to discard surpluses than to seek sustainable alternatives. Waste taxes are generally low, and it is also possible to export waste abroad to reduce costs. This situation creates an economic incentive that favors waste over the responsible management of food surpluses.
Consumers are proving to be the worst offenders, wasting approximately 74 kilos of food each . In developed countries, there tends to be a model of overconsumption where portions are poorly calibrated and we consume more than we need. In developing countries, waste can, for example, stem from problems with food preservation.
While Saudi Arabia stood out as the biggest wasteer in 2021 (with 110 kg per person), there are nevertheless positive examples, such as:
- South Korea: Since 2016, the city of Seoul has implemented a regulation requiring citizens to pay recycling fees for their food waste. These measures have reduced food waste by 10%.
- Denmark has reduced its food waste by a quarter. These impressive results stem in part from citizen-led initiatives such as the Stop Spild af Mad , spearheaded by activist Selina Juul, but also from private initiatives, like the Rema supermarket chain's decision to remove certain discounts to discourage overconsumption.
What measures have been put in place by governments/institutions?
Aware of the impact of this food waste on our societies, various bodies have been established:
- UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) is a UN-affiliated organization created in 1972. Its goal is to link the various activities in the field of the environment.
- The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its objective is to combat poverty and hunger worldwide, focusing particularly on agricultural development. The FAO partnered with UNEP to provide more accurate estimates of food waste by distinguishing between “food losses” and “food waste.” They created an index for each in 2011.
- Food loss index: represents losses from production to distribution.
- Food waste: represents losses from distribution to consumers.
- Fusions is a financially supported initiative by the European Union aimed at encouraging member states to reduce food waste at all stages of the supply chain. The long-term goal is to halve food waste by 2030. On average, each EU resident wasted 131 kg of food waste, resulting in a financial loss of approximately €132 billion in 2020.
In France, laws aimed at reducing waste have also been introduced over the past twenty years:
- 2013: The National Pact
- 2016: Garrot Law
- 2018: Egalim Law
- 2020: Agec Law
Read our article: “Catering and food waste: a guide to the laws”.
On a more commemorative note, the United Nations also established World Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day in 2020.
Consumers remain the biggest wasters, and this is true worldwide, but for various reasons. In developed countries, there tends to be a model of overconsumption where portions are poorly calibrated and we consume more than we need. In developing countries, waste can, for example, stem from problems with food preservation.
Civil society against food waste
Institutions are not the only ones fighting against food waste; businesses and associations are also participating in this battle.
In France, we find companies like Too good to go , Phénix or Zéro Gâchis which offer baskets of unsold goods at low prices to avoid waste.
There are also organizations like Tinki Kmou , founded in Nantes. This organization fights against waste, whether food or clothing, by organizing food distributions using unsold items. These unsold items are generally provided directly by stores, but can also come from food banks.
At Kikleo, we've chosen to focus our efforts on the restaurant industry. Using artificial intelligence, we help restaurants reduce food waste while improving customer satisfaction and complying with the aforementioned regulations.
FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Would you like to take action against food waste
Kikleo helps you reduce food waste and increase the performance of your restaurant by offering you a analysis of your losses using innovative technological tools.
