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Food waste harms environment and leaves millions hungry

By Edith Mutethya in Nairobi, Kenya | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-03-31 14:44
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As the world marked the International Day of Zero Waste on Monday, a United Nations expert emphasized the urgent need to tackle food waste, warning that while billions of tons of edible food are lost along the supply chain each year, hundreds of millions of people continue to go hungry worldwide.

In an interview with China Daily, Clementine O'Connor, management officer of the UN Environment Programme or UNEP's Sustainable Food Systems Programme, stated that 19 percent of food available to consumers is wasted, in addition to 13 percent lost during production and up to – but not including - the retail stage.

"Most food waste occurs at home: 60 percent of food waste occurs in households, 28 percent in food service, and 12 percent in retail," O'Connor said.

She explained that food loss and waste generate 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with food waste in landfills releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

"Food waste alone is responsible for up to 14 percent of global methane emissions, making it a critical short-term climate lever," O'Connor said.

Food waste also drives unnecessary use of land, water and agricultural inputs, increasing pressure on ecosystems and accelerating biodiversity loss. Nearly 30 percent of the world's agricultural land is used to produce food that is never eaten, while the global food system is recognized as the primary driver of biodiversity loss, mainly due to land conversion and intensive agricultural practices.

"Reducing food waste can significantly reduce pressure on forests, soils, water resources and wildlife," O'Connor said.

"Reducing food waste is high-impact climate solutions that can help countries deliver on their Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement and their Global Methane Pledge commitments."

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that global food loss and waste cost more than $1 trillion annually.

O'Connor said that while more than 1 billion tons of food are wasted globally each year, around 673 million people face hunger, and about 150 million children under five suffer from stunting due to chronic nutrient deficiencies.

"This contradiction highlights that hunger is not only a problem of food availability, but also of access, affordability, and the efficiency of food systems," she said.

"Food waste and food insecurity coexist because structural challenges prevent food from reaching those who need it most."

In developing regions such as Africa, food waste has additional implications because food systems often face structural constraints. Limited storage facilities, poor transportation networks, and inadequate cold chain infrastructure frequently lead to significant losses before food even reaches consumers.

"These challenges can reduce farmers' incomes, increase price volatility and limit the availability of nutritious food in local markets," O'Connor said.

"In Sub-Saharan Africa, up to 30–40 percent of food is lost across the supply chain."

She emphasized that effective approaches to reducing food loss and waste combine national strategies, public-private partnerships, behavior change initiatives, as well as collaboration and innovation across supply chains.

O'Connor outlined three global priorities: encouraging consumer behavior change, requiring businesses to measure and report food waste, and improving systems for collecting and managing organic waste.

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