Food Waste Index Report 2021

In News: Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Food Waste Index Report 2021.

• The index was prepared by using data from 54 countries and then extrapolated to the remaining countries.

Key Findings

• The report estimated that 931 million tonnes of food were wasted in 2019.
• It has revealed that 17% of all food available at the consumer level (11% in households, 5% in foodservice and 2% in retail) was wasted in 2019 and around 690 million people had to go hungry.
  • The FAO has produced a Food Loss Index which shows that around 14% of the world’s food is lost from post-harvest up to, but excluding, the retail level.
• Data on all three areas of food waste, namely household, foodservice and retail was available only for high-income countries.
• On average, 74 kilograms of food was wasted per capita at the household level.
  • Some countries like Austria and South Africa produce very low amounts of waste at 39 kg/capita/year and 40 kg /capita/year respectively.
  • Countries like Nigeria and Rwanda are producing waste at 189 kg /capita/year and 164 kg/capita/year respectively.
  • Per capita, food wastage is, in fact, much higher in west Asian and sub-Saharan African countries compared to South Asian.
• However, this estimation is based on only three studies, all of which had a sample size or length that was either small or unclear.

• Concerns
  • Food waste also has a substantial environmental, social and economic impact.
  • An estimated 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.
• Suggestions
  • Countries can raise climate ambition by including food waste in Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, while strengthening food security and cutting costs to households.

• Significance of reducing food waste
  • Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution.
  • It will enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession.

About Food Waste Index

• The report, produced jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP.
• It presents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste.
• It seeks to support efforts to halve food waste by 2030.
• It aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3.
  • SDG target 12.3 aims at halving per-capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.

Source: DTH