Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Femi Akinyemi
Published on 2024-03-28 12:06:44
A recent report from the United Nations (UN) has shed light on the global issue of food waste, revealing that more than 1 billion meals are wasted every day while nearly 800 million people suffer from hunger. The report, titled the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024, highlighted the staggering amount of food that is wasted, with 1.05 billion metric tons of food being squandered in 2022.
This wastage accounts for about a fifth of the food available to people, with households, restaurants, and other parts of the food service and retail sectors being major contributors. The report emphasized the significant impact of this unnecessary waste, not only in terms of development and hunger but also as a driver of climate change and environmental degradation.
Despite the abundance of wasted food, about a third of the world’s population faces food insecurity and 783 million people are affected by hunger. This stark contrast raises concerns about the global distribution of food and the need to address food waste as a crucial issue in the fight against climate change.
The report distinguished between food “loss,” which occurs early in the supply chain due to factors like rotting vegetables and spoiled meat, and food “waste,” which refers to food discarded by households, restaurants, and stores. In 2022, households wasted the majority of food at 631 million metric tons, followed by the food service sector at 28% and retail at 12%.
On an individual level, the report revealed that a person wastes an average of 79 kilograms (174 pounds) of food annually, leading to the waste of at least one billion meals of edible food every day. However, it also noted that these figures may be conservative, as many countries do not consistently monitor their food waste data.
Despite the significant environmental impact of food waste, with 8-10% of global planet-heating emissions attributed to it, only 21 nations have included food waste in their national climate policies. Food production is resource-intensive, requiring vast amounts of land and water, and food systems are responsible for about a third of global planet-heating emissions.
The majority of food waste ends up in landfills, where it generates methane as it decomposes. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with about 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years. The report also highlighted the relationship between climate change and food waste, noting that hotter countries tend to waste more food due to challenges in storing and transporting food in high temperatures.
In conclusion, the UN report underscores the urgent need to address food waste as a global issue with far-reaching consequences for both human well-being and the environment. Efforts to reduce food waste, improve monitoring systems, and incorporate food waste into climate policies are essential steps towards building a more sustainable and equitable food system for all.
Read the original article on Nigerian Tribune
