The United Nations Environment Programme reveals that 17% of food consumed in food shops and households is thrown away without being consumed, with 60% coming from the household sector.

The global lockdown phenomenon has had a surprising impact, with households seeing a decrease in food waste as people become more mindful about their shopping and food consumption.

23 million food trucks

Richard Swannel of Wrap says the global problem report says "food waste is much larger than previously estimated", with 923 million tonnes of food wasted each year equivalent to 23 million 40-tonne trucks that could circle the globe seven times.

Previously, we assumed that food waste was only a problem in rich countries, where consumers were more likely to buy than consume. However, research has found that food waste can be found everywhere, with lower-income countries having less food waste.

Unep CEO Inger Andersen is pushing for countries to commit to fighting food waste, aiming to halve food waste by 2030.

"If we are serious about addressing climate change, the loss of nature and biodiversity, and the pollution and waste from businesses, governments and citizens around the world must play their part in reducing food waste."

Richard Swannel points out that "wasteful food contributes 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions. If we compare food waste per country, it is equivalent to being the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world."

Tips for reducing food waste

• Plan your personal consumption and plan to purchase the right amount of food for your consumption.
• Keep the refrigerator temperature below 5 degrees Celsius.
• Understand the label: Is the label attached to food an expiration date or a best before date for the best taste?

Impact of lockdown measures

Food waste is often intentionally discarded, but how do COVID-19 lockdown measures seem to have a clear impact on the amount of food wasted?

Wrap's research found that careful food storage and batch cooking during lockdown reduced food waste by 22% compared to 2019.

Staying at home during lockdown has led to an increase in behaviours like batch cooking and meal planning. The charity says: "Recent insights suggest that food waste is likely to increase again once lockdown ends."

While millions of tons of food are being wasted, an estimated 690 million people are suffering from hunger, with the number of people affected by hunger projected to rise rapidly after the pandemic.

Andersen points out that managing waste "will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature and save money during a global recession."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-5627...

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