reducing food loss and waste: creating a sustainable food future, installment 2
DESCRIPTION
About 24 percent of all calories currently produced for human consumption are lost or wasted. This paper examines the implications of this amount of loss and waste, profiles a number of approaches for reducing it, and puts forth five recommendations for how to move forward on this issue.TRANSCRIPT
Photo Source: Neil Palmer
CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FOOD FUTURE
Reduce food loss and wasteMenu item: Reduce food loss and waste
Photo Source: WRAP
32%
24% of global food supply by energy content (calories)
of global food supply by weight
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Food loss and waste represent huge amounts of the global food supply
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
During or immediately after harvesting on the
farm
After produce leaves the farm for handling, storage,
and transport
During industrial or domestic
processing and/or packaging
During distribution to markets,
including losses at wholesale and
retail markets
Losses in the home or business of the consumer,
including restaurants and
caterers
Food is lost or wasted along the entire value chain
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Food loss is more prevalent in developing countries while food waste is more prevalent in developed countries100% = 1.5 quadrillion kcal
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Cereals comprise the most loss and waste when measured by calories
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO 2011.
Roots and tubers are the most lost or wasted commodity compared to total production(Percent of kcal)
Note: Values displayed are of waste as a percent of food supply, defined here as the sum of the “Food” and “Processing” columns of the FAO Food Balance Sheet.
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Over half of the world’s food loss and waste occurs in Asia(100% = 1.5 quadrillion kcal)
Note: Number may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
North America has the highest per capita food loss and wasteKcal/capita/day
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
As regions get richer, waste becomes more prevalent than loss(Percent of kcal lost and wasted)
Note: Number may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
US$1600/year for an American family of four
£680/year for the average household in the UK
US$32 billion worth of food thrown away in China each year
Food loss and waste cost significant amounts of money
Sources: WRAP. n.d. “Solutions to prevent household food waste.” ; WRAP. 2011. “New estimates for household food and drink waste in the UK.”; Zhou, W. 2013. “Food Waste and Recycling in China: A Growing Trend?”
Greenhouse gas emissions Land use
The environmental impacts of food loss and waste are large
Source: Kummu, M., H. de Moel, M. Porkka, S. Siebert, O. Varis, and P.J. Ward. 2012. “Lost food, wasted resources: Global food supply chain losses and their impacts on freshwater, cropland, and fertiliser use.” Science of the Total Environment 438: 477-489.
Source: WRI analysis based on Bruinsma, J. 2009. The Resource Outlook to 2050: By how much do land, water and crop yields need to increase by 2050? Rome: FAO; Alexandratos, N., and J. Bruinsma. 2012. World agriculture towards 2030/2050: The 2012 revision. Rome: FAO.
2006 - food availability 2050 - baseline food
availability needed
9,500
15,500
* Includes all crops intended for direct human consumption, animal feed, industrial uses, seeds, and biofuels
Food loss and waste savings
(50% reduction)
1,300
Reducing food loss and waste can close the 2050 food gap by 22%Global annual crop production (kcal trillion)*
Small metal silos
Photo source: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Evaporative coolers
Photo source: Dave Cronin.
Source: Grace, J., U. Ugbe, and A. Sanni. 2012. “Innovations in the Cowpea Sector of Northern Nigeria: Research Into Use Nigeria.” Presentation.
PICS bags generate cost savings compared to traditional insecticide useNaira (local currency)
Plastic crates
Photo source: twatson.
Data labeling
Photo source: Ami Becker.
Source: Nielsen, S.J. and B. Popkin. 2003. “Patterns and Trends in Food Portion Sizes, 1977-1998.” Journal of the American Medical Association: 289 (4): 450-453.
Portion sizes in the US are increasing over time(Kcal per portion)
Trayless cafeterias
Photo source: Travis Nep Smith.
Recommendation 1:Develop a “food waste protocol”
Photo source: Marisa McClellan.
Recommendation 2:Set food loss and waste reduction targets
Photo source: Andy Rogers.
Recommendation 3:Increase investment in postharvest loss research in developing countries
Photo source: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Recommendation 4:Create entities devoted to reducing food waste in developing countries
Recommendation 5:Accelerate and support initiatives to reduce food loss and waste
www.worldresourcesreport.org