2.3 Billion Hungry, One Billion Tonnes Wasted: The Paradox Defining Global Food Security

How much is lost before reaching people

Roughly 30 percent of food produced around the world never gets eaten. About 13 percent disappears between harvest and supermarket shelves. That is where poor storage, wrong harvesting times, bad weather, and weak transport systems take their toll. Fruits and vegetables see the biggest losses, with more than a quarter gone before sale. Meat and animal products lose around 14 percent.

H/T: Statista^[1]

Sub-Saharan Africa faces the steepest challenge, with 23 percent lost early in the chain. Asia loses 14 percent, Latin America and the Caribbean 13 percent, North America 10 percent, and Europe only 6 percent. These gaps reflect differences in infrastructure and handling practices.

Waste after the food is sold

Once food reaches shops or homes, another 17 to 19 percent is discarded. UNEP data puts the total waste in 2022 at just over one billion tonnes. This includes 631 million tonnes from households, 290 million from food service, and 131 million from retailers.

Via: Statista^[2]

Households are by far the largest source. On average, each person throws out 79 kilograms of food every year. Restaurants and catering add 36 kilograms per capita, while retailers discard 17 kilograms.

Not only rich countries

Waste used to be seen as a problem of wealthier economies. That is no longer the case. Figures show little difference between high income, upper-middle income, and lower-middle income groups. The annual per capita range is narrow, from 81 kilograms in rich countries to 86–88 kilograms in middle income ones. Reliable data is still missing for low income countries, though some in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union report relatively low levels.

Country totals

The largest numbers come from the world’s most populous states. China discards 108.7 million tonnes each year. India wastes 78.2 million tonnes. The United States accounts for 24.7 million tonnes, Brazil for 20.3 million, and Indonesia for 14.7 million.

Source: statista^[3]

Germany throws out 6.5 million tonnes, while Russia reports 4.8 million. Smaller nations contribute less in total, but their per-person figures can be high. Brazil stands at 94 kilograms per head, Ghana at 84. The Philippines is at the other end of the spectrum with 26 kilograms per person.

Food insecurity and emissions

While food is wasted on such a scale, 2.3 billion people were estimated to face moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024. At the same time, waste is linked to 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses land equal to almost 30 percent of farmland worldwide. The economic loss is valued at more than one trillion dollars a year.

The world’s population is projected to grow from 8.2 billion now to 9.7 billion by 2050. Cutting waste is one of the most direct ways to improve supply without expanding farmland or increasing pressure on ecosystems.

Global efforts

In 2019, the UN declared September 29 as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Since then, the FAO has tracked supply chain losses, but the figures have barely shifted. Waste data remains patchy and inconsistent, though some individual countries report progress.

Household behavior is harder to shift. Habits, urban lifestyles, and limited food planning skills remain the main drivers. That is why households continue to account for most of the waste, regardless of income level.

H/T: UNRP Food Waste Index Report 2024^[4]

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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