Hungarian food waste has decreased significantly, but losses are still huge

The world wasted 1.05 billion tons of food in 2022, which is 132 kilograms per person – almost a fifth of the amount that reached consumers. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)[1], 60 percent of this waste occurred in households (79 kg/person/year), 28 percent in catering and public catering, and 12 percent in trade. This means that households worldwide throw away more than a billion servings of food every day, while 783 million people go hungry and a third of humanity suffers from food insecurity.

Food waste also poses a huge environmental burden: wasted food accounts for 8-10 percent of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions – almost five times the total emissions of the entire aviation sector. Food waste also puts severe pressure on ecosystems, as nearly a third of the world’s agricultural land is used unnecessarily. The economic loss is estimated at around $1 trillion per year, according to a UNEP report.

The document also highlights that while the numbers are alarming, several countries have shown that significant results can be achieved with comprehensive measures. The United Kingdom has reduced its food waste by 18 percent and Japan by 31 percent, showing that joint efforts by governments, local authorities and businesses can make a tangible difference.