Reducing food waste is essential but challenging

The world wastes about a third of its food supply, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and missed opportunities to alleviate food insecurity.

Julian Baggini reports for The Guardian.

In short:

• The United Nations estimates around 17% of food is wasted globally, with an equal amount lost before retail, primarily due to issues in harvesting, storage and transportation.
• Food waste significantly impacts the climate, accounting for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with waste in wealthier nations linked to overproduction and consumer habits.
• Denmark’s reduction in food waste by 25% from 2010 to 2015 was driven largely by grassroots activism, particularly through Selina Juul's efforts, although replicating such success elsewhere has proven difficult.

Key quote:

"The food waste just moves from the supermarket bin to your bin – and you have paid for it."

— Selina Juul, food waste campaigner

Why this matters:

Food waste exacerbates climate change, strains natural resources and worsens food insecurity. Reducing it requires changing consumer habits, better policies and industry accountability.