Food Loss and Food Waste
A Global Problem Where We Can All Make a Difference
By Shannon Bergstrom
Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food gets wasted every year—that’s one-third of food produced for human consumption. In a hungry world, this is a major hurdle in achieving SDG 2. While nobody wants food to go to waste, the complex nature of our modern food supply chain can make taking effective measures seem out of reach for many of us.
How does eliminating food waste in high-income countries help those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)? There are more benefits than you might expect.
Food produced in LMICs is often grown for export, and increasing demand for this food—both because and despite the fact that one-third of it will likely be wasted—causes unsustainable agricultural expansion that harms local communities. A more efficient food production system ensures that these countries reap all the benefits of what they have sown without further exploiting their resources.
Eliminating food waste also helps fight climate change, which disproportionately affects those in LMICs. And while downstream food waste is relatively stable in high-income countries, in LMICs, it’s growing. Tackling the issue through education and technology helps address the problem now before it gets worse.