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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

A third of all food produced globally is wasted: United Nations-Subodh Varma

One-third of food produced globally every year does not reach human mouths - it is either lost in transit or wasted by consumers themselves. This amounts to a staggering 1.3 billion tonnes every year. These chilling figures are contained in a report called 'Avoiding Future Famines' released by the United Nations Environment Programme at the recently held Rio+20 summit on sustainable development. 

Consumers throw away 222 million tonnes of food in edible condition every year in North America and Europe. The total food production of Sub-Saharan Africa is 230 million tonnes per year. 

Based on a study last year by a group of researchers from Swedish Institute of Food & Biotechnology (SIK), and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), the report says that food loss or waste occurs right through the food supply chain - from farm to dining table. 

But in medium- and high-income countries, a higher share of food is really wasted, meaning it is thrown away even if still suitable for human consumption. In low-income countries food is mainly lost during the early and middle stages of the food supply chain; much less food is wasted by consumers. 

'Americans throw away 25% of food' 

In Europe and North-America, a total of 280-300kg of food is wasted per capita every year. In Sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia per capita food wastage is 120-170kg per year. 

This aggregate wastage figure is made up of loss or wastage at different stages: farming, post harvest, processing, distribution and consumption. In developing countries, more than 40% of the food losses occur at post harvest and processing levels, while in industrialized countries, more than 40% of the food losses occur at retail and consumer levels, according to analysis done by Jenny Gustavsson of SIK. 

Per capita food wasted by consumers in Europe and North America is 95-115kg per year, while this figure is only 6-11 kg per year in sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia. 

American consumers throw away 25% of all food they purchase while British consumers throw away roughly one-third of their purchased food due to factors such as over-purchasing in response to marketing offers and obeying expiration dates labelled on products, according to the UNEP report. 

The UNEP report suggests organizing small-scale farmers — which comprise the bulk of producers in the developing countries like India — so that they can pool resources and share centralized storage, transportation and marketing facilities.