The latest food waste index report released by the United Nations Environment Programme on the 27th shows that 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted globally in 2022, and food waste and loss are worrying.
On the eve of the United Nations International Zero Waste Day on March 30, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Food Waste Index Report 2024. According to the report, 132 kilograms of food were wasted globally per capita in 2022, accounting for one-fifth of the total food available to consumers. Some 783 million people in the world are still hungry, and the edible portion of this wasted food, measured by the "most conservative estimate", could provide 1.3 meals a day for every person in the world's hunger-affected regions.
On March 26, 2024 local time, power was interrupted due to Russia's attack on critical infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian Railways' "grain train" provides lunch for displaced people.
On March 26, 2024 local time, on the "grain train" of the Ukrainian Railways, the staff was preparing lunch.
On March 27, 2024 local time, in Gaza City, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues, and people receive free food. The people of Gaza are enduring "catastrophic" hunger, and famine is imminent.
On March 20, 2024 local time, in Gadarif County, Sudan, a displaced woman and her children sit in a thatched hut in a refugee camp. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 18 million people in Sudan face acute food insecurity.
On February 27, 2024 local time, in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique, a woman carries food distributed by the World Food Programme. About two weeks ago, new violence erupted in northern Mozambique, resulting in 71,681 people displaced.
The report says that food waste is not limited to wealthy countries, but is actually significant regardless of income level, especially in households. In 2022, 60% of the world's food waste came from the household level, followed by 28% in the food service industry and 12% in the retail sector.
On October 27, 2023 local time, in San Jose, California, USA, organic materials were picked up and loaded onto trucks at a resource recovery facility. Two recent EPA reports give staggering numbers on food waste: one-third of the food produced in the U.S. is never eaten.
In a press release, UNEP Executive Director Inge Andersen said: "Food waste is a global tragedy...... Not only is this a major development issue, but it is also taking a huge toll on climate and nature. "Food loss and waste is responsible for 8 to 10 per cent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, five times more than aviation, according to the report. The report recommends the development of policies to address food waste at all levels and incorporate it into national action plans to address pollution, climate change and habitat loss.
On March 3, 2024 local time, in Zimbabwe, dry weather led to a failed harvest in corn fields.
On March 3, 2024 local time, in Zimbabwe, farmers hold withered corn in their hands. More than 13 million people in southern Africa are expected to surge in the coming months as a result of months of inadequate rainfall. Zimbabwean officials say authorities are working to find alternative food supplies.
Aerial view of a village in Madagascar on February 1, 2024 local time. Madagascar is the first country to face food shortages due to climate change, with insufficient rainfall in recent months. As the El Niño climate pattern takes shape, fears of rising hunger loom ahead.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published the first edition of its Food Waste Index report in 2021 and has since expanded its global data collection points. The latest edition of the report focuses not only on food waste measurement, but also on ways to effectively reduce it.