Global Food Waste Crisis: U.N. Reveals Concerning Statistics and Calls for G20 Leadership in Addressing Problem

The U.N. recently reported that nearly one-fifth of the food produced globally in 2022 was wasted, despite one-third of the world’s population facing hunger. This is a concerning statistic, especially as countries work towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target to halve food waste by 2030. However, a new report from the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) highlights that progress towards this goal has been slow, with the latest figure being higher than the previous report in 2019.

One country that has made significant strides in reducing food waste is Japan, which saw a decrease of 31 percent in food waste from 2008 to 2020. Japan is among only four countries in the G20 and European Union with suitable waste estimates for tracking progress towards the SDGs target year. On average, each person discards 79 kilograms of food annually, equivalent to 1.3 meals per day for those impacted by hunger globally, with almost 30 percent of the global population facing food insecurity.

The UNEP Food Waste Index Report also emphasized the impact of food loss and waste on the climate, generating 8 to 10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen highlighted this issue and called for G20 countries to lead in international cooperation and policy development to achieve the SDGs goal and share expertise with other countries starting to address this problem.

Overall, it is clear that we need to take action on reducing food waste if we are going to meet our SDGs goals and address global challenges such as climate change and food security. As such, it is crucial that governments and individuals alike work together to reduce unnecessary waste and ensure that more food reaches those who need it most.