ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD INDUSTRY WASTE AND FOOD LOSS USE OPTIONS

Abstract

If food loss and food waste were a country, it would be the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustainable Development Goal envisages halving food waste and minimizing food loss by 2030. In support of this important goal, UNEP's first Food Waste Index report presents the scale of food industry waste and a methodology that allows countries to measure and track baseline indicators. The report estimates that food waste from households, retail chains, and the food service industry averages 931 million tons annually. About 570 million tons of this food industry waste occurs at the domestic stage. The report also shows that the global average of about 74 kg of food wasted per person per year is remarkably similar to low-middle-income to high-income countries, indicating that most countries have room for improvement.

Global levels of food industry waste are of increasing concern and thus require urgent action to minimize their negative environmental and socio-economic consequences. In the developed world, on average, 20-40% of food industry waste originates in the production phase of supply chains, and that food industry waste is often managed in non-optimized, irrational ways and causes significant negative side effects on the environment. This study describes a modern decision-making tool that enables food industry manufacturers to evaluate a range of food industry waste management options, including identifying the most sustainable solution.