About 24 percent of all calories currently produced for human consumption are lost or wasted. This paper examines the implications of this amount of loss and waste, profiles a number of approaches for reducing it, and puts forth five recommendations for how to move forward on this issue.

1. Photo Source: Neil Palmer
CREATING A
SUSTAINABLE FOOD
FUTURE

2. Reduce food loss and wasteMenu item: Reduce food loss and waste
Photo Source: WRAP

3. 32%
24% of global food supply by energy content (calories)
of global food supply by weight
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Food loss and waste represent huge amounts of the
global food supply

4. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
During or
immediately after
harvesting on the
farm
After produce
leaves the farm for
handling, storage,
and transport
During industrial
or domestic
processing and/or
packaging
During distribution
to markets,
including losses at
wholesale and
retail markets
Losses in the
home or business
of the consumer,
including
restaurants and
caterers
Food is lost or wasted along the entire value chain

5. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Food loss is more prevalent in developing countries while
food waste is more prevalent in developed countries
100% = 1.5 quadrillion kcal

6. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Cereals comprise the most loss and waste when
measured by calories

7. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO 2011.
Roots and tubers are the most lost or wasted
commodity compared to total production
(Percent of kcal)
Note: Values displayed are of waste as a percent of food supply, defined here as the sum of the “Food” and “Processing” columns of
the FAO Food Balance Sheet.

8. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
Over half of the world’s food loss and waste occurs in
Asia
(100% = 1.5 quadrillion kcal)
Note: Number may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

9. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
North America has the highest per capita food loss and
waste
Kcal/capita/day

10. Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste—extent, causes and
prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
As regions get richer, waste becomes more prevalent
than loss
(Percent of kcal lost and wasted)
Note: Number may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

11. US$1600/year for an American family of four
£680/year for the average household in the UK
US$32 billion worth of food thrown away in China each year
Food loss and waste cost significant amounts of money
Sources: WRAP. n.d. “Solutions to prevent household food waste.” ; WRAP. 2011. “New estimates for
household food and drink waste in the UK.”; Zhou, W. 2013. “Food Waste and Recycling in China: A
Growing Trend?”

12. Greenhouse gas emissions Land use
The environmental impacts of food loss and waste are
large
Source: Kummu, M., H. de Moel, M. Porkka, S. Siebert, O. Varis, and P.J. Ward. 2012. “Lost food, wasted
resources: Global food supply chain losses and their impacts on freshwater, cropland, and fertiliser use.”
Science of the Total Environment 438: 477-489.

13. Source: WRI analysis based on Bruinsma, J. 2009. The Resource Outlook to 2050: By how much do land,
water and crop yields need to increase by 2050? Rome: FAO; Alexandratos, N., and J. Bruinsma. 2012.
World agriculture towards 2030/2050: The 2012 revision. Rome: FAO.
2006 - food
availability 2050 - baseline food
availability needed
9,500
15,500
* Includes all crops intended for direct human consumption, animal feed, industrial uses, seeds, and biofuels
Food loss and
waste savings
(50% reduction)
1,300
Reducing food loss and waste can close the 2050 food
gap by 22%
Global annual crop production (kcal trillion)*

14. Small metal silos
Photo source: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

15. Evaporative coolers
Photo source: Dave Cronin.

16. Source: Grace, J., U. Ugbe, and A. Sanni. 2012. “Innovations in the Cowpea Sector of Northern
Nigeria: Research Into Use Nigeria.” Presentation.
PICS bags generate cost savings compared to
traditional insecticide use
Naira (local currency)

17. Plastic crates
Photo source: twatson.

18. Data labeling
Photo source: Ami Becker.

19. Source: Nielsen, S.J. and B. Popkin. 2003. “Patterns and Trends in Food Portion Sizes, 1977-1998.”
Journal of the American Medical Association: 289 (4): 450-453.
Portion sizes in the US are increasing over time
(Kcal per portion)

20. Trayless cafeterias
Photo source: Travis Nep Smith.

21. Recommendation 1:
Develop a “food waste protocol”
Photo source: Marisa McClellan.

22. Recommendation 2:
Set food loss and waste reduction targets
Photo source: Andy Rogers.

23. Recommendation 3:
Increase investment in postharvest loss
research in developing countries
Photo source: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

24. Recommendation 4:
Create entities devoted to reducing food
waste in developing countries

25. Recommendation 5:
Accelerate and support initiatives to
reduce food loss and waste

26. www.worldresourcesreport.org