The Impact of Food Waste on Hunger

Every year, nearly one-third of the food produced globally while 828 million people suffer from hunger. This stark contradiction raises a critical question:

How can we allow so much food to be wasted and at the same time have so many hungry persons?

The United Nations sought to upend this crisis via the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) which aims to eradicate hunger and ensure food security for all by 2030. This robust goal targets the heart of the issue by addressing the different causes of hunger and malnutrition.

Food waste refers to food that is fit for consumption but consciously discarded at the retail or

consumption phases (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Food waste has its environmental, economic and social impacts. Globally, approximately $1 trillion worth of food is squandered annually, resulting in a total economic impact of around $3 trillion per year when taking into account the social and environmental consequences. This amount of food lost is enough to feed over 3 billion persons.

China and India produce more household food waste than any other country worldwide at an

estimated 92 million and 69 million metric tons every year, respectively. This is a very shocking statistic but not surprising seeing that these countries have a significantly larger population compared to others. According to the latest data, In 2022, the United States generated food waste totaling 77.6 million tons (or appx 155.2 billion pounds) across all sectors and states. Similarly in Europe, the food wasted could feed 200 million people in Latin America and 300 million people in Africa.

In a world where over 800 million people go to bed hungry every night, the sheer scale of food waste is staggering. Picture this: one-third of all the food produced globally enough to feed everyone who is hungry ends up in the trash. Within countries like Ukraine and Palestine with wars and major humanitarian crises, persons just like me and you make up this 800 million. Imagine the children, the pregnant mothers, the older persons who have to go to bed hungry. Think of it in the context that the food we waste on a daily basis could be beneficial to them and prevent deaths due to hunger. In the continent of Africa, 40% of food produced is thrown away. Moreover, nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves in the June-August 2024 lean season, according to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis released by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). Similarly in the United States where 38% of food produced is wasted with more than 44 million people in the US facing hunger, including 1 in 5 children.

These statistics show a similarity where a large amount of food is wasted resulting in millions of persons to suffer from hunger and malnourishment. Even if half the food produced was not

wasted there would still be millions of people going to bed hungry. Policy changes are crucial for tackling food waste and hunger, but our actions as individuals are just as important. By being mindful consumers and making choices that reduce waste and support sustainability—like planning meals, shopping wisely, and backing local food initiatives—we can help build a better food system for everyone.

So, what can we do about it? How can we turn the tide on food waste and ensure that everyone has enough to eat?

Outlined below are some practical tips and tricks sourced from the Environmental Protection Agency, World Resources Institute, and my own experiences that have helped me reduce food wastage:

Write a shopping list.

My personal favorite and the easiest in my opinion is writing a shopping list. Going to the supermarket can be overwhelming at times and we tend to pick up some things that we absolutely don't need. Writing a shopping list helps stay focused and avoid buying unnecessary items.

Portion control

Don't cook more than you can eat. Ensure that you are cooking in portions that you are capable of eating so that wastage is reduced.

Meal Planning

Plan your meals ahead of time, ensuring that you record the ingredients and exactly how much is needed.

Freezer left over food

Invest in some freezer bags to store leftover food for future use. Trust me, that month old lasagna from the freezer may not sound as appealing now but when reheated it tastes good as new.

Check those expiry dates.

Ensure to regularly check the expiry dates of items so they are used before it goes bad.

Start a compost bin.

Consider starting a compost bin in your backyard to turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. Composting not only reduces food waste but also enriches soil and promotes plant growth.

Looking ahead, it is crucial to adopt both innovative and practical approaches to reduce food

waste and combat hunger. From policy initiatives to advocacy movements and to everyday

actions there are several ways to make a positive impact and reduce food waste and hunger.

Through collective collaboration we can advance the goals of SDG 2 by 2030 ensuring zero

hunger for future generations.

References:

Martin. (2023, October 19). Goal 2: Zero hunger - United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations Sustainable Development. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

Robinson, D. (2024b, March 4). 25 Shocking Facts about food waste. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/facts-about-food-waste

The world counts. (n.d.). https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/foo

d-waste-statistics

MNeri. (2024, May 14). Food waste and world hunger: what is the connection? Here are insights from the 2024 Food Waste Index report. Atlante. https://www.atlantesrl.it/en/food-waste-and-world-hunger-what-is-the-connection-here-are-insights-from-the-2024-food-waste-index-report

Hunger in America | Feeding America. (n.d.). Feeding America. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america

2024 Global Report on Food Crises | UNICEF USA. (n.d.). UNICEF USA. https://www.unicefusa.org/media-hub/reports/2024-Global-Report-Food-Crises