NAIROBI / RankWire.AI / – According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the worldwide loss and waste of food results in an economic loss of over $1 trillion each year. Households alone waste more than one billion meals every day. This issue gained renewed attention during the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29. UNEP emphasizes that reducing these losses can help save land, water, and forests, while also reducing emissions associated with uneaten food.
The problem spans entire food supply chains and consumer markets. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that 13.4% of global food production is lost after harvest but before reaching retail outlets. An additional 19% of available food is wasted by households, food service providers, and retailers. UNEP’s 2024 Food Waste Index estimates that in 2022, 1.05 billion tonnes of food at the consumer level were discarded, with households responsible for 60% of this waste.
The generation of food loss and waste is responsible for roughly 8% to 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste alone contributes up to 14% of global methane emissions, according to UNEP and FAO. UNEP programme manager Michael Muratha highlighted that improved handling, storage, transportation, and cold-chain systems are effective strategies to minimize losses. He also underscored the importance of redistributing safe surplus food as a means to keep edible products in circulation.
Addressing waste within the food industry
Innovative technology is increasingly utilized to monitor waste in commercial kitchens. A project in the UAE involving Hilton, Winnow, UNEP West Asia, and the Ne’ma initiative tracked breakfast waste across 13 hotels. The initiative employed AI-powered tools and plate-waste tracking systems to identify overproduction and discarded food. Winnow’s data revealed a 62% overall decrease in breakfast food waste over four months, focusing on reduction rather than simply post-consumer waste.
Specifically, the project achieved a 76% reduction in pre-consumer waste and a 55% drop in post-consumer waste. Through data from the tracking systems, teams optimized food production, buffet setups, portion sizes, and staff practices. This example demonstrates how technology can aid in measuring food waste and driving operational improvements. UNEP also supports simpler, community-based methods, such as programs that utilize ingredients typically discarded during meal preparation.
Global objectives set on 2030 targets
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025, UNEP and its partners introduced the Food Waste Breakthrough initiative. The goal is to cut global food waste by half by 2030, with an additional aim to reduce methane emissions related to food waste by up to 7%. The Global Environment Facility allocated $3 million to support the campaign during its launch. The event took place at COP30, correcting earlier references that mistakenly placed the initiative at COP31 in Brazil.
This 2030 goal 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 throughout production and supply chains. As of September 2026, FAO noted that progress toward this target has been limited in recent years. Current UN data indicate that food loss and waste continue to consume valuable resources and impose significant economic and environmental costs.