FOOD WASTE FACTSAbout Food Waste
Food waste is a global challenge. Understanding its scale and impact helps us to make a real difference for the better. Let's dive into the facts and statistics behind the topic of food waste.
HOW MUCH FOOD IS WASTED GLOBALLY?
According to WWF (2021), 40% of the food that we produce globally goes to waste. This means that 2.5 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year. This equates to 80,000 kilograms of food being wasted around the world, every single second.
Which food is wasted the most?
Food waste appears across almost every food category. On average across the globe, vegetables (25%), cereals (24%), and fruits (12%) are the food most wasted at home.
When it comes to food waste in consumer households, vegetables, cereals and fruit are followed by roots & tubers (9%), dairy & eggs (7%) and meat & fish (6%) (Chen, 2020).
Start saving food today
FOOD WASTE DEFINITION
When we talk about food waste, we refer to all food intended for human consumption that goes to waste, from farm to fork.
This includes both 'food loss' - food wasted as part of production and supply chains - and 'food waste' happening at retail level and/or in consumer households.
WHAT IS SURPLUS FOOD?
Surplus food is generated at any stage of the supply chain from farm to fork.
Food surplus is not food waste, but unfortunately often ends up as waste. In fact, in most cases it's perfectly good food that for any of many reasons, is unlikely to be sold or consumed. Making the most of surplus food is a great way to reduce food waste (FAO, 2018).
The Difference between Food Loss and Food Waste
Food loss happens at an earlier stage in the supply chain and this food does not re-enter the supply chain for any other production use, like animal feed. It happens at harvest, slaughter or catch, so before the food reaches the store shelves, restaurants, food service provider or the end consumer. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 2019), defines food loss as a “decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by food suppliers in the chain, excluding retailers, food service providers and consumers.” This loss of food can happen due to many different reasons.
According to WWF (2021), 1.2 billion tonnes of food loss happens at farms each year.
Food waste happens at the end of the supply chain, for example when the food has made it to retailers, grocery stores, food service providers and consumer households. The FAO defines food waste as “the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by retailers, food services and consumers” (FAO, 2019).
According to UNEP (2024) and FAO (2019), 1.4 billion tonnes of food waste happens at processing, distribution, retail, food services and household levels.
why is food waste a problem?
Food waste has an enormous impact on society, the economy and the environment. As such, reducing food waste presents a powerful opportunity to make a positive impact on climate change, the cost of living, and food accessibility.
10%of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide
are caused by food waste
(WWF, 2021)
25%of freshwater used annually
goes into food that ultimately goes to waste
(WWF, 2024)
11.5%of all land in the world
is used annually to produce food that ultimately goes to waste. In total, this corresponds to a land area larger than China
(WWF, 2024)
$1.1TRILLION
is the amount of money lost through food waste every year
(WWF, 2024)
2.4billion people
do not have access to adequate, nutritious food
(FAO, 2023)
733million people
are affected by hunger every day
(FAO, 2024)
A real opportunity to tackle Climate Change
Reducing food waste is the number 1 action we can take to help tackle climate change, by limiting the temperature increase to 2°C by 2100 (Project Drawdown, 2020). Easy, effective and rewarding - Reducing or avoiding food waste helps us make a real positive impact on the environment.
How does food waste affect the environment and climate?
As part of the process of food production, greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere. Additionally, the food system has an impact on biodiversity loss and our environmental ecosystems. When food is wasted, we do not only waste the food in front of us, we also waste all the valuable resources that have gone into creating the food. As such, food waste has a considerable impact on the environment and our planet's climate.
What are the benefits of reducing food waste?
When reducing or avoiding food waste, we avoid harmful CO2e emissions and the unnecessary use of valuable resources including water and land. Each meal saved from going to waste through Too Good To Go, is equivalent to avoiding 2.7 kg of CO2e emissions, avoiding the unnecessary use of 810 litres of water, and avoiding the unnecessary annual use of 2.8 m2 of land (Merieux Nutrisciences | Blonk, 2024).
Saving food from going to waste through Too Good To Go offers environmental benefits on three levels:
- All the energy and resources used in the process of making that food have not been used in vain;
- Consuming this surplus food means that additional food does not need to be produced;
- The food that you rescue from going to waste will now not end up in landfills or incinerators, avoiding additional emissions.
Too Good To Go Blog
We’re answering the question of should you keep fruit and veg in the fridge and filling you in on the best tips for fruit and veg storage.Should you keep fruit and veg in the fridge?
April 21, 2022
When it comes to reducing food waste, one of the easiest places to focus is on keeping your fresh food fresh. Fruit and veg are among the most-wasted foods, ...
Use up that stout in this leftover vegan Guinness cake recipe, in English agus as Gaeilge! Delicious, moist and complex, it's perfectly patriotic!Leftover Stout Cake Recipe (Vegan)
March 14, 2022
In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, we've got a plant-based leftover stout cake for you... In both English and Irish. Whether you’re familiar with the con...
How to salvage your test pancake, what to do with excess batter and our favourite zero-waste toppings.Pancake Tips to Reduce Food Waste
February 22, 2022
Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, was literally created to allow people to use up the food they were abstaining from during Lent. It's an anti food waste h...
Some of the most commonly wasted foods include potatoes, apples and bread. Find new ways to use them!Our Top Pairings for Commonly Wasted Foods
February 4, 2022
We often think about food waste holistically: if we reduce waste for every type of food, we’ll get the best result. However, some foods are much more commonl...
Did you know that food waste produces more greenhouse gases than the aviation industry? Learn more with ten facts on food waste.Ten Food Waste Facts to Feed Your Brain
January 17, 2022
If it’s your goal this year to get motivated to waste less food, it’s our goal to help motivate you. So, we’ve compiled 10 food waste facts to feed your brai...
By planning, prepping and getting inspiration from us to make the most of your leftovers, you can reduce food waste this Christmas.Four Tips to Reduce Food Waste this Christmas
December 8, 2021
For many, Christmas is a time of extravagance - the food you usually wouldn’t eat in much larger quantities, gifts galore and everything you own bedecked wit...
1 million tonnes of food is wasted in Ireland per year - let's change that. Our simple tips help you to reduce food waste at home.Three easy ways to reduce food waste at home
November 8, 2021
Our app is one small way of reducing food waste, but it’s only one part of the issue. Overall, our goal is to activate policymakers as part of a broader move...
Is your business' menu creating more waste than you realise? A handful of easy swapsHow to design a low-waste menu
August 23, 2021
Is your business' menu creating more waste than you realise? A handful of easy swaps
Do you your ‘best before’ from your ‘sell by’? Your ‘display until’ from your ‘use by’?What do the different date labels mean?
August 23, 2021
Do you your ‘best before’ from your ‘sell by’? Your ‘display until’ from your ‘use by’? Our date label cheat sheet has everything you need to get up to speed.