Food loss and waste is one of the biggest contributors to climate change
Channel: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Date: 11/01/2023

Did you know that food loss and waste 
is one of the biggest contributors to climate change? 
Today, our agrifood systems are broken. 
Hunger, food insecurity, obesity 
and undernourishment are rising. 
And yet, the way we produce
and consume food 
is resulting in high rates
of food loss and waste. 
Every year, around 14% of the world's food
is lost after harvest 
and in the distribution chain
prior to retail. 
And an additional 17% of food 
available to consumers is wasted. 
Food loss and waste account for 8 to 10% 
of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 
In a number of countries, 
the food supply
chain is on course 
to overtake farming and land use 
as the largest contributor
of greenhouse gases. 
Carbon dioxide is generated 
at every step of the food supply system, 
from production to handling, 
transportation, storage and distribution, 
regardless of whether the food produced 
is consumed or not, 
leaving a significant carbon footprint. 
In particular, 
the rotting of food waste in landfills 
and open dumps is adding considerably 
to greenhouse gas emissions, 
each year, producing around 
49 million tonnes of methane. 
This is a potent greenhouse gas 
that has 84 times the warming power
of carbon dioxide, 
over a 20-year period. 
Greenhouse gases contribute
to an unstable climate 
prone to drastic environmental change 
and extreme weather events. 
These unstable climate conditions 
negatively impact crop yields, 
reduce the nutritional quality of crops, 
disrupt supply chains, 
and threaten food security. 
But the impacts of food loss and waste
extend beyond this. 
Across the world, 
around 3.1 billion people 
cannot access a healthy diet, 
and an estimated 828 million people 
go hungry every day 
while the food they need
is lost or wasted. 
Truly resilient agrifood systems 
must be able to anticipate, 
prevent, adapt and transform 
in the face of any disruption, 
protecting food security, 
livelihoods and nutrition for all. 
Reducing food loss and waste 
plays a key role in transforming
agrifood systems. 
It can improve productivity 
and ensure natural resources
are used more efficiently, 
contributing to economic growth 
and benefiting society as a whole. 
It can increase food availability and access, 
protect the income of farmers
and smallholders, 
and contribute to improving
dietary quality. 
Reducing food loss and waste can also help 
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
It’s one of the most impactful climate solutions
we have today. 
Everyone can contribute to reducing
food loss and waste. 
Let’s all work together to reduce
food loss and waste 
and strengthen agrifood systems, 
for better production, better nutrition,
a better environment, 
and a better life for all. 


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