The world wastes about a third of its food supply, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and missed opportunities to alleviate food insecurity.
Julian Baggini reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- The United Nations estimates around 17% of food is wasted globally, with an equal amount lost before retail, primarily due to issues in harvesting, storage and transportation.
- Food waste significantly impacts the climate, accounting for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with waste in wealthier nations linked to overproduction and consumer habits.
- Denmark’s reduction in food waste by 25% from 2010 to 2015 was driven largely by grassroots activism, particularly through Selina Juul's efforts, although replicating such success elsewhere has proven difficult.
Key quote:
"The food waste just moves from the supermarket bin to your bin – and you have paid for it."
— Selina Juul, food waste campaigner
Why this matters:
Food waste exacerbates climate change, strains natural resources and worsens food insecurity. Reducing it requires changing consumer habits, better policies and industry accountability.
