United Nations Environment Programme
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UN Day
Celebrating the 2nd International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
29 September 2021
- Overview
- Activities
- Take Action
- Resources
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is an opportunity to call to action both the public (national or local authorities) and the private sector (businesses and individuals), to prioritise actions and move ahead with innovation to reduce food loss and waste towards restoring and building back better and resilient-ready, food systems.
Why is it important to reduce food loss and waste?Globally, around 14 per cent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 per cent of total global food production is wasted (11 per cent in households, 5 per cent in the food service and 2 per cent in retail).
Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food -, including water, land, energy, labour and capital - go to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food.
Our food systems cannot be resilient if they are not sustainable. With nine years left to reach SDG goal 12, target 12.3; there is an urgent need to accelerate action to reduce food loss and waste.
Key messages
- There is never room for food loss and waste!
- Reducing food loss and waste, provides a powerful means to strengthen the sustainability of our food systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve planetary health.
- Recovery and redistribution make good use of surplus food and contribute to improving access to food for the food insecure, preventing food waste and ensuring economic, environmental and social benefits.
- Household food waste is a global challenge – occurring at comparable per person levels regardless of region or country income levels. Behavioural insights can help reduce waste at consumer level.
- Measuring food loss and waste helps countries and companies to understand the scale of the problem, target hotspots, and track progress on Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, halving food waste and reducing food loss across supply chains by 2030.
For additional information on IDAFLW, visit the FAO website: http://www.fao.org/international-day-awareness-food-loss-waste/en/
Events
FAO-UNEP High-Level Event
Recording: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15tumvyl3
The Path to Sustainable Cold Chains for All in Africa @the Africa Climate Week
Recording: https://events1.social27.com/africaclimateweek
STORIESIn Bangkok, tech startups take on food waste
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/bangkok-tech-startups-take-food-waste
Why the global fight to tackle food waste has only just begun
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/bangkok-tech-startups-take-food-waste
PRESS RELEASEUN calls for increased action on International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste
VIDEO MESSAGESChef Massimo Bottura, Founder Food for Soul, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CUaG5nbDcUQ/
Gisele Bündchen, Supermodel & Mogul, Global Goodwill Ambassador
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUXpyi8DN_U/?utm_medium=copy_link
Project Drawdown identifies ‘Reducing Food Waste’ as the #1 most impactful climate solution. Cutting food waste at home is one of the best ways to reduce your climate footprint. But how?
- Schedule a weekly ‘Use It Up’ Day or ‘Use It Up’ Meal to make the most of leftover ingredients (OzHarvest and Unilever campaign).
- Designate a shelf in your fridge for ‘Eat Me First’ perishable foods.
- Write a shopping list and avoid bulk promotions.
- Measure portion sizes for rice, couscous and pasta.
- Share leftovers with friends and neighbours, especially before going away and after holidays.
- Trying growing your own fruits and vegetables to enjoy them at peak freshness. Preserve or donate surplus.
- Compost any remaining food waste and inedible parts or ask your local government about food waste collections.
Join the #FLWDay campaign by sharing our free material on digital channels!! Don't forget to tag @UNEP, @FAO and add the #FLWDay!
Build Back Better Using Green and Digital Technologies to Reduce Food Waste at Consumer Level
Green and digital technologies are increasingly used to tackle the food waste challenge. 5 cities (Belgrade, Doha, Bangkok, Kampala, Bogota) joined UNEP in exploring integrated approaches that connect policy, data, technology, economics, and behavior science. Find out more from the project: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/green-economy/build-back-better and take action in driving the change!
Food Waste Index Report 2021
The Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3. It does so by presenting the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste; and publishing a methodology for countries to measure food waste, at household, food service and retail level, to track national progress towards 2030 and to report on SDG 12.3. Countries using this methodology will generate strong evidence to guide a national strategy on food waste prevention, that is sufficiently sensitive to pick up changes in food waste over two- or four-year intervals, and that enables meaningful comparisons between countries globally.
To download the report: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021
Status of the Global Food Cold-Chain: Briefing
Food saved is as important as food produced. The UNEP-led Cool Coalition in collaboration with the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), OzonAction and the Ozone Secretariat, with the support of the Italian Government, are producing a status report on the global food cold-chain, which will include case studies to show the current state and development across areas such as technologies, design approaches, finance and business models, policy, and planning. This brief is a short summary of the full report that will be published in December 2021.
The aim is to help better identify and accelerate solutions to simultaneously feed the world, support smallholder and marginal farmers, and protect our environment.
To download the briefing:https://www.unep.org/resources/assessment/status-global-food-cold-chain-summary-briefing
