In almost every country, food waste is a major problem. A billion tonnes of food is thrown away every year. Households account for 61% of this waste, followed by food service (26%), and retail (13%). By cutting down on food waste, we can take steps towards sustainable development.
Reducing food waste benefits individuals, the environment, and the economy in several ways. It enhances food security, solves global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and eases the pressure on waste management systems.
It goes without saying that the later food waste occurs in the supply chain, the higher the environmental effect, because we must account for the energy and natural resources consumed in processing, shipping, storing, and cooking it.
Food waste that ends up in landfills creates a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas that is even more harmful than Carbon dioxide. Excess levels of greenhouse gasses such as methane, carbon dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons absorb infrared radiation and heat up the earth's atmosphere, resulting in global warming and climate change.
