Despite 783 million people worldwide facing hunger, about 1.05 billion tonnes or nearly 19 per cent of all food available to consumers is wasted each year globally, according to the 2024 Food Waste Index Report by the United Nations.

The report estimates that food waste costs the global economy about $1 trillion annually.

These losses occur across retail outlets, food service operations, and households.

On average, about 79 kilograms of food is wasted per person each year globally.

Households account for the largest share, generating 631 million tonnes of food waste annually.

The food service sector contributes 290 million tonnes, while retail accounts for 131 million tonnes.

This brings the total to about 1.05 billion tonnes wasted every year, the report noted.

In Nigeria, about 35 million people could face severe hunger in 2026, according to United Nations estimates.

This crisis is likely to be worsened by rising levels of food waste.

In addition to food waste at the consumption stage, about 13 percent of food produced globally is lost after harvest.

These losses highlight inefficiencies across the food supply chain.

Around 150 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth and development due to chronic lack of essential nutrients in their diets.

This underscores the widening gap between food availability and access.

The report explains that while the Food Loss Index tracks food lost during production, storage, and transport, the Food Waste Index focuses on food discarded during consumption.

“The Food Waste Index also allows countries to measure and report on food loss and waste generated in manufacturing processes, which would not be captured under key commodity losses by the Food Loss Index,” the report stated.

“Food waste is an urban issue. With more than half of the global population now living in urban areas, food waste is expected to increase in the coming years, and local governments will play a huge role in tackling food waste,” the report added.

The report stated that collaboration between private and public stakeholders is key to curbing food waste.

“As food waste is an issue throughout the entire supply chain, private-public partnerships (PPPs) bring stakeholders together to collaborate and deliver a shared goal, thus overcoming some of the challenges of a fragmented food system,” the UN report stated.

In addition, PPPs connect businesses with governments and policymakers in a pre-competitive space.

This allows best practices to be shared while driving innovation for long-term, holistic change.