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Food Safety

About Food Waste

In the EU, over 59 million tonnes of food waste (132 kg/inhabitant) are generated annually (Eurostat, 2024), with an associated market value estimated at 132 billion euros (SWD (2023)421).

At the same time, over 42 million people cannot afford a quality meal every second day (Eurostat, 2023).

Globally, approximately a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted (FAO, 2011). FAO's Food Loss Index (FLI) estimates that globally, around 14% of all food produced is lost from the post-harvest stage up to, but excluding, the retail stage (FAO, 2019).

Households generate more than half of the total food waste (54%) in the EU (accounting for 72 kg per inhabitant) (Eurostat, 2024). The remaining 46% was waste generated upwards in the food supply chain: 19% by the manufacture of food products and beverages (25 kg per inhabitant), 11% by restaurants and food services (15 kg per inhabitant), 8% in the retail and other distribution of food (11 kg per inhabitant), and 8% in the primary production (10 kg per inhabitant). (Eurostat, 2024)..Similarly, at global level, around 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated in 2022 – 60% of which came from households, 28% from food services and 12% from retail. This amounts to one fifth (19%) of food available to consumers being wasted, at the retail, food service and household level (UNEP Food Waste Index 2024).

Wasting food is not only an ethical and economic issue but it also depletes the environment of limited natural resources. The EU is committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030 and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains. By reducing food losses and waste to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals, we can also:

  • support the fight against climate change (fFood waste has a huge environmental impact, accounting for about 16% of the total Greenhouse Gas emissions from the EU food system)
  • save nutritious food for redistribution to those in need, helping to eradicate hunger and malnutrition
  • save money for companies and households