Massive Food Wastage in the World

KAKALI DAS

Every year, 800 million people go hungry globally.

However, there’s a catch – we actually produce enough food to feed all of them. Yes, that’s right.

Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide. Imagine that! It’s enough to feed nearly 2 billion people. But what causes such extensive waste? Is over-consumption the primary culprit? And what steps can we take to reduce this waste?

Massive Food Wastage in the World ( Image: Powershift)

Convenience stores are urban oasis, offering a one-stop solution for everything. Whether you need a midday snack or emergency toilet supplies, convenience stores have you covered.

In Japan, convenience stores serve as a lifeline, operating 24/7, 365 days a year. This robust industry is worth nearly $77 billion annually.

But this convenience comes at a cost. While the business model is appealing, it’s also associated with significant food waste. Take sushi rolls, for example—a staple and popular snack at Japanese convenience stores. In just one day, Japan’s 55,657 convenience stores discarded 947,121 Ehomaki rolls. The total cost of this food wastage amounts to approximately $5 million.

The issue lies in the sheer volume of items stocked by convenience stores to meet every customer need. However, this results in a significant amount of unsold food. Unlike larger shops such as supermarkets, convenience stores have limited storage capacity, which leads to higher levels of waste.

Consider the figures from 2020: Japan’s major convenience stores discarded approximately $30,000 worth of food per shop. When you tally these numbers, the result is staggering—almost $2 billion of food wasted annually. This situation is ironic, considering Japan imports 63% of its food.

But Japan is not alone in this practice. Food wastage is a global issue, and every country contributes to it. Approximately one-third of the world’s food is wasted, totalling 1.3 billion tons every year.

Food wastage occurs in two stages. In developing nations, a significant cause is during harvest time, with 40% of losses occurring at post-harvest and processing levels. Poor storage facilities in farms lead to pest infestations and mould ruining crops. Lack of access to technology and markets means many farmers are forced to watch their crops rot in fields as the labour and financial investment required to harvest them is often unavailable.

In developed nations, the focus shifts to the retail sector, where nearly 35% of food is discarded by supermarkets, shops, and households. Much of this food is still suitable for consumption. In developed nations, 40% of their food loss happens at retail and consumer levels.

Poor storage facilities in farms lead to pest infestations and mould ruining crops. Lack of access to technology and markets means many farmers are forced to watch their crops rot in fields as the labour and financial investment required to harvest them is often unavailable.

Along with chronic poverty, conflict and economic shocks, food loss is one of the root causes of hunger worldwide. Food loss also represents a waste of the very resources used to produce food — such as land, water and energy.

In industrialized countries, more than 40 per cent of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.

Consumers in wealthy countries waste nearly as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa each year. Just imagine, all this wasted food could feed approximately 2 billion people—about a quarter of the global population. This wastage is egregious considering that around 800 million people face hunger globally every year. Redirecting even a portion of this food could help eradicate global hunger, which is a goal countries strive to achieve.

Cutting global food waste in half by 2030 is one of the UN’s top priorities. In fact, it’s one of the organization’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Reducing wastage is a complex challenge that demands a multi-faceted approach. Convenience stores and restaurants can start by implementing improved inventory management systems to store stocks more efficiently, thereby minimizing unsold goods.

At the household level, it involves purchasing only necessary products. While convenience stores serve as valuable assets in our fast-paced lives, it’s crucial to shift focus away from instant gratification and towards sustainability.

Images from different sources

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