NAIROBI / RankWire.AI / – According to the United Nations Environment Programme, global food loss and waste incurs costs exceeding $1 trillion each year. Each day, households alone waste more than one billion meals. The issue gained renewed attention around the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29. UNEP emphasizes that reducing losses can help conserve land, water, and forests, while also limiting emissions associated with uneaten food.
This problem spans the entire food supply chain and consumer markets. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that 13.4% of all food produced worldwide is lost after harvest and before reaching retail outlets. An additional 19% of food available to consumers is wasted by households, food services, and retailers. UNEP’s 2024 Food Waste Index estimates that in 2022, consumer-level food waste reached 1.05 billion tonnes, with households responsible for 60% of this waste.
Food loss and waste contribute approximately 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste alone makes up to 14% of worldwide methane emissions. UNEP programme manager Michael Muratha has highlighted that improved handling, storage, transportation, and cold-chain systems are practical measures to cut losses. He also advocates for redistributing safe surplus food to help keep edible products in use.
Strategies for Cutting Waste Throughout the Food System
Technology is increasingly being employed to track waste generated in commercial kitchens. A project in the UAE involving Hilton, Winnow, UNEP West Asia, and the Ne’ma initiative monitored breakfast waste across 13 hotels. The project utilized AI tools and plate-waste systems to identify issues like overproduction and discarded food. Winnow’s data revealed a 62% overall reduction in breakfast food waste over four months, rather than a 62% reduction in post-consumer waste alone.
Results showed a 76% decrease in pre-consumer waste and a 55% reduction in post-consumer waste. The teams adjusted food production, buffet setup, portion sizes, and staff practices based on data from the tracking systems. This serves as an example of how technology can support measuring food waste and implementing operational improvements. UNEP also promotes lower-tech solutions, including community programs that utilize ingredients often discarded during preparation.
Global Goals Set on 2030 for Food Waste Reduction
The Food Waste Breakthrough initiative was launched by UNEP and partners at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. The campaign aims to reduce global food waste by half by 2030. It also seeks to cut methane emissions related to food waste by up to 7%. At its launch, the Global Environment Facility committed $3 million to support the project. This event took place at COP30, clarifying that the initiative was not associated with COP31 in Brazil.
This 2030 target aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving per-capita food waste at retail and consumer levels. It also aims to reduce food losses along production and supply chains. In September 2026, FAO reported that progress toward these goals had been limited in recent years. Current UN data indicate that the problem remains significant, with food losses and waste wasting resources and creating substantial economic and environmental burdens.