Image source: Getty Images/BBC
Turkish writer and content creator Seren Ozkan says, “Over the past seven years, I have become more conscious and careful when buying food, as I only bring home the amount that I or the people I prepare food for will consume.”
Since 2019, Ozkan has adopted a “zero waste” lifestyle, an approach that aims to reduce what is thrown away to a minimum, and food is a big part of this endeavor.
She adds, "Moving to a new home can be a challenge, as it takes time to establish a new routine. Illness or vacation periods can also disrupt this routine, but other than that, it has become a normal part of my daily life."
According to a report issued by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in 2024, the world wastes more than one billion tons of food annually, while 645 million people suffer from hunger.
For the first time this year, the concept of “zero waste” - including food waste - will receive prominent attention, as it will be presented as one of the priority themes during the United Nations Climate Conference (COP31), which is being held this month in the Turkish city of Antalya.
Image source: Ceren Özkan
Although Ozkan welcomes this attention, she still has her doubts. “I would really like to be proven wrong,” she says, “but awareness must be followed by action and accountability.”
Her concerns reflect a broader challenge; Only 30 countries have so far included food loss or waste in their national climate action plans.
“We hope that this policy moment, focused on preventing and reducing food waste, will help more countries integrate this issue into their national climate strategies,” says Clementine O'Connor, who leads UNEP's work on urban food systems and food waste.
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How much food does the average person waste?
An in-depth explanation of the most prominent events and topics, to help you understand the most important variables around you and their impact on your life
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The average person wastes 79 kg of food every year at home, which equates to at least one billion meals wasted around the world every day, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
This makes families the largest source of the problem (60 percent), followed by food services such as restaurants and school cafeterias (28 percent) and retail trade (12 percent).
Food waste occurs at the retail, restaurant and household levels, while food loss refers to the quantities lost at earlier stages of the supply chain, between harvest and retail.
“The United States is one of the largest producers of food waste,” says Dr. Liz Goodwin, a senior fellow in food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute (WRI).
“Some Middle Eastern countries also waste a lot of food, which is equally surprising because they import a lot of their food.”
But Goodwin warns that it is difficult to accurately compare countries due to a lack of reliable data.
It is noteworthy that one of the most surprising findings of UNEP research is the consistency of household food waste across countries.
“There has been a previous narrative that food waste was a problem in high-income countries, while food loss was a problem in low-income countries, and the data shows that is not the case,” O'Connor says. "It's a global problem."
Whether it's long working hours or caring responsibilities, she says, many of the factors that lead to food waste are remarkably similar across the world.
But in hotter countries, limited access to refrigeration and cold storage can mean that food spoils more quickly.
Why is food waste so bad for the planet?
Food loss and waste account for between 8 percent and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations.
It is noteworthy that for this reason, halving global food waste by 2030 is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. When food decomposes in landfills in the absence of oxygen, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
O'Connor points out that methane is "84 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period." So reducing food waste could make a “very quick impact” on climate change mitigation efforts.
Food production requires vast areas of land and large amounts of water, as well as energy and other resources, and when food is wasted, these resources are also wasted, contributing to the loss of biodiversity.
O'Connor adds that reducing food loss and waste can increase the amount of food available, which may lead to lower food prices and make them more affordable for everyone.
How can I reduce food waste at home?
O'Connor says climate change can sometimes seem like a problem that's too much to handle, but it's an area where people can make a difference.
She points out that Project Drawdown, an American non-profit organization that focuses on scientific solutions to confront climate change, considers reducing food loss and waste the first climate action we can take.
Goodwin agrees, explaining that making simple changes to your daily habits can help. Making a grocery list is a good first step, as well as understanding labels that indicate the “best before” and “use by” dates.
The phrase “best consumed before” relates to quality, not safety. After this date, the food may lose some of its flavor or texture, but it remains mostly edible and safe.
"Too many people simply throw away foods that are past the 'best before' date, which is very unfortunate," Goodwin says.
Image source: Roman Mykhalchuk/Getty Images
It is noteworthy that sustainability advocates from around the world have their own advice on how to reduce food waste at home.
Charlotte Brum Pizzi, a zero-waste influencer based in Mexico City, recommends using AI to determine exactly how much food you need per meal throughout the week.
She suggests doing a reality check by identifying the items on your grocery list that you actually used, then calculating how much money you wasted on the foods that ended up in the trash.
She points out that this process may be “financially painful,” but it is always effective.
As for Rahaf Al-Lemouni, the inventor of an alternative to coffee made from date pits, she suggests dedicating a shelf in the refrigerator to foods that are close to their expiration date, so that they can be used before buying more.
“If you have a lot of vegetables and feel like they are about to spoil, put them all in the blender to make a delicious sauce,” she says.
Darath Honchamlong, co-founder of a sustainability-focused bar in Bangkok, avoids adhering to “strict recipes,” preferring instead to adapt meals based on the ingredients he has on hand.
As for Ozkan, she remembers that she freezes vegetable peels, then boils them in water. She uses the resulting water to irrigate her plants, while she turns the remaining peels into organic fertilizer.
Which countries are making progress?
O'Connor says Japan is the only country that the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) knows of that has met the UN goal of halving food waste, both at the household level and across commercial supply chains.
She attributes this progress to a combination of public awareness campaigns, corporate reporting requirements, and public-private collaboration.
Image source: Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The United Kingdom has also succeeded in reducing food waste by 22 percent, thanks to the combined efforts of companies working at various stages of the food supply chain, as they worked together to identify and reduce waste.
This approach was later adopted in other countries, including South Africa, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.
Despite the progress achieved in some aspects, the world is not on the right track to achieve the desired overall goal.
“There is no way we can cut food waste in half by 2030,” Goodwin says.
It indicates that the business sector has achieved greater progress than governments. Many major food companies have set goals and launched programs to reduce waste.
She believes that governments should make more efforts to encourage companies to measure and report the extent of food waste, which, in her opinion, will contribute to enhancing competition and achieving tangible improvements.
Experts stress that addressing food waste requires action at the level of the global food system as a whole, but individuals can also make a difference through their daily choices within their homes.
“Ultimately, it's up to us whether we throw away the food or keep it,” Goodwin adds.
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