10 food waste facts

FACT 1. Over 1/3 of all food produced globally goes to waste. Ref

FACT 2. The annual value of food wasted globally is $1 trillion, and it weighs 1.3 billion tonnes. Ref

FACT 3. All the world’s nearly one billion hungry people could be fed on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the US, UK and Europe. Ref

FACT 4. An area larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten. Ref

FACT 5. 25% of the world’s fresh water supply is used to grow food that is never eaten. Ref

FACT 6. If food waste were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after China & the USA). Ref

FACT 7. In most developed countries, over half of all food waste takes place in the home. Ref

FACT 8. Meanwhile, food waste at the retail store level is less than 2% of total food waste (though supermarket practices are directly responsible for much food waste elsewhere in the supply chain.) Ref

FACT 9. In the home food waste is worth £800 per year to the average UK family ($2,275 in the USA), which collectively adds up to £15 billion per year. Ref/Ref

FACT 10. 2.3 billion people are joining the planet by 2050 – this will require a 60-70% increase in global food production. Or we can just stop throwing away our food! Ref