NEW DELHI: Globally, 1.05 billion tonnes of meals waste generated (together with inedible components) in 2022 which was virtually one-fifth of all meals obtainable to customers, and every particular person, on common, wasted 79 kg of meals yearly in households on this planet in comparison with 55 kg per capita per 12 months in India, mentioned the United Nations Setting Programme (UNEP) Meals Waste Index Report 2024 launched on Wednesday.
The report that factored within the information of the 12 months 2022 underlined that the toll of each meals loss in provide chain and waste on the world economic system is estimated at roughly $1 trillion.
It famous that the aggregated households’ meals waste amounted to at the very least one billion meals of edible meals worldwide each single day whereas 783 million individuals had been affected by starvation and a 3rd of humanity confronted meals insecurity.
The load of the worldwide meals waste in 2022 was, by the way, greater than India’s whole manufacturing of foodgrain, oilseeds, sugarcane and horticultural produce, put collectively, in 2022-23.
Out of the entire meals wasted globally in 2022, 60% occurred on the family degree, 28% at meals providers degree and 12% at retails. The country-wise meals waste information confirms that such waste isn’t just a ‘wealthy nation’ drawback, with ranges of family meals waste differing in noticed common ranges for high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income nations by simply 7 kg per capita.
On the similar time, hotter nations seem to generate extra meals waste per capita in households, probably because of larger consumption of recent meals with substantial inedible components and an absence of sturdy chilly chains.
That is the second such report of UNEP after the primary one in 2021 that factored within the meals waste within the 12 months 2019. Its comparability with the most recent one, launched on Wednesday, exhibits that the per capita per 12 months meals waste at family degree globally elevated from 74kg in 2019 to 79 kg in 2022. Equally, it elevated in India from 50 kg/capita/12 months to 55 kg/capita/12 months throughout the identical interval. Per capita per 12 months meals waste at family degree was the best in Maldives at 207 kg/capita/12 months in 2022.
“Meals waste is a worldwide tragedy. Thousands and thousands will go hungry immediately as meals is wasted internationally. Not solely is that this a serious growth situation, however the impacts of such pointless waste are inflicting substantial prices to the local weather and nature,” mentioned Inger Andersen, govt director of UNEP.
In response to current information, meals loss and waste generates 8-10% of annual world greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions – virtually 5 occasions that of the aviation sector – and vital biodiversity loss by taking on the equal of just about a 3rd of the world’s agricultural land.
Nonetheless, solely 21 nations have included meals loss and/or waste discount of their nationwide local weather plans – referred to as nationally decided contributions (NDCs) – underneath the Paris Settlement. Moreover, solely 4 G20 nations (Australia, Japan, UK, the USA) and the European Union have meals waste estimates appropriate for monitoring progress to 2030.
On this context, the Meals Waste Index report might function a sensible information for nations to persistently measure and report meals waste, and likewise attempt to combine it of their subsequent spherical of NDCs in 2025 to boost their local weather ambition.
At present, many low- and middle-income nations proceed to lack sufficient methods for even monitoring progress to fulfill Sustainable Growth Purpose (SDG) of halving meals waste by 2030, notably in retail and meals providers.
The report that factored within the information of the 12 months 2022 underlined that the toll of each meals loss in provide chain and waste on the world economic system is estimated at roughly $1 trillion.
It famous that the aggregated households’ meals waste amounted to at the very least one billion meals of edible meals worldwide each single day whereas 783 million individuals had been affected by starvation and a 3rd of humanity confronted meals insecurity.
The load of the worldwide meals waste in 2022 was, by the way, greater than India’s whole manufacturing of foodgrain, oilseeds, sugarcane and horticultural produce, put collectively, in 2022-23.
Out of the entire meals wasted globally in 2022, 60% occurred on the family degree, 28% at meals providers degree and 12% at retails. The country-wise meals waste information confirms that such waste isn’t just a ‘wealthy nation’ drawback, with ranges of family meals waste differing in noticed common ranges for high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income nations by simply 7 kg per capita.
On the similar time, hotter nations seem to generate extra meals waste per capita in households, probably because of larger consumption of recent meals with substantial inedible components and an absence of sturdy chilly chains.
That is the second such report of UNEP after the primary one in 2021 that factored within the meals waste within the 12 months 2019. Its comparability with the most recent one, launched on Wednesday, exhibits that the per capita per 12 months meals waste at family degree globally elevated from 74kg in 2019 to 79 kg in 2022. Equally, it elevated in India from 50 kg/capita/12 months to 55 kg/capita/12 months throughout the identical interval. Per capita per 12 months meals waste at family degree was the best in Maldives at 207 kg/capita/12 months in 2022.
“Meals waste is a worldwide tragedy. Thousands and thousands will go hungry immediately as meals is wasted internationally. Not solely is that this a serious growth situation, however the impacts of such pointless waste are inflicting substantial prices to the local weather and nature,” mentioned Inger Andersen, govt director of UNEP.
In response to current information, meals loss and waste generates 8-10% of annual world greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions – virtually 5 occasions that of the aviation sector – and vital biodiversity loss by taking on the equal of just about a 3rd of the world’s agricultural land.
Nonetheless, solely 21 nations have included meals loss and/or waste discount of their nationwide local weather plans – referred to as nationally decided contributions (NDCs) – underneath the Paris Settlement. Moreover, solely 4 G20 nations (Australia, Japan, UK, the USA) and the European Union have meals waste estimates appropriate for monitoring progress to 2030.
On this context, the Meals Waste Index report might function a sensible information for nations to persistently measure and report meals waste, and likewise attempt to combine it of their subsequent spherical of NDCs in 2025 to boost their local weather ambition.
At present, many low- and middle-income nations proceed to lack sufficient methods for even monitoring progress to fulfill Sustainable Growth Purpose (SDG) of halving meals waste by 2030, notably in retail and meals providers.
