Food and resources waste on the world interesting stats

[Shortmaster]

Even i have money lol ....guys don't trough away good food let me have it u rich or poor Im sure you want to have it If the food is still good.


Global Food Waste: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons of food annually.

Economic Value: The economic cost of this food waste is estimated at around $940 billion per year globally. This figure includes costs associated with production, transportation, and disposal.

Food Insecurity: Despite this massive amount of waste, around 828 million people worldwide are undernourished as of 2021 according to FAO data. This paradox highlights inefficiencies in food distribution systems rather than a lack of overall food production.


Waste by Sector: Food waste occurs at different levels:

Production Level: Approximately 30% of fruits and vegetables are lost before reaching consumers due to factors like pests, diseases, or market standards.
Retail Level: Supermarkets discard about 43 billion pounds (approximately 19 million tons) of food each year in the U.S. alone.
Consumer Level: Households throw away about 31% of their purchased food.
Environmental Impact: The environmental impact is also significant; wasted food contributes to about 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions when considering the entire supply chain from production to disposal.


Natural Resource Waste

Water Usage: Agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. It is estimated that around 50% of this water used for irrigation does not contribute to actual crop yield due to inefficiencies and wastage.

Oil Consumption: The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that around 6% of global oil consumption is attributed to agriculture-related activities (including machinery operation). However, there are losses in energy efficiency throughout the supply chain that further exacerbate resource wastage.

Energy Waste in Food Production: Estimates suggest that it takes about 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce just one calorie of food energy consumed by humans in industrialized countries due to inefficiencies in farming practices and transportation logistics.

Overall Resource Wastage: When combining these figures:

If we consider the total economic loss from wasted resources (food + water + energy), it could easily exceed $1 trillion annually when factoring in environmental degradation and lost productivity.


A 2018 report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) indicated that U.S. restaurants alone waste about 22 million tons of food annually.
The National Restaurant Association reported that about 4-10% of total restaurant sales are attributed to food waste.
If we apply these percentages to major chains like McDonald’s

McDonald’s: With over 38,000 locations worldwide as of 2023 and an average revenue per location estimated at around $2.5 million annually, this could imply a potential waste figure ranging from $100 million to $250 million annually just from their operations.

Subway: With over 40,000 locations globally and similar revenue metrics, they could also be contributing significantly to global waste figures.

When considering these numbers on a monthly basis:

If we take a conservative estimate that each restaurant wastes about 1% of its sales in good but unsold or unserved food (which is a common industry estimate), this could translate into approximately $8 million to $20 million wasted monthly across all McDonald’s locations alone.
Combining both chains:

If we assume similar rates for Subway’s operations, the combined monthly wastage could range between $16 million to $40 million for both brands globally.

it is reasonable to estimate that fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Subway collectively waste between $16 million to $40 million worth of good food globally each month due primarily to operational practices and policies against employee takeaway.


Many fast-food chains have strict policies against employees taking leftover or unused food home due to health regulations and liability concerns. This policy contributes significantly to the amount of good food that ends up being discarded rather than redistributed or consumed by employees.

[Yatsan]

Even i have money lol ....guys don't trough away good food let me have it u rich or poor Im sure you want to have it If the food is still good.


Global Food Waste: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons of food annually.

Economic Value: The economic cost of this food waste is estimated at around $940 billion per year globally. This figure includes costs associated with production, transportation, and disposal.

Food Insecurity: Despite this massive amount of waste, around 828 million people worldwide are undernourished as of 2021 according to FAO data. This paradox highlights inefficiencies in food distribution systems rather than a lack of overall food production.


Waste by Sector: Food waste occurs at different levels:

Production Level: Approximately 30% of fruits and vegetables are lost before reaching consumers due to factors like pests, diseases, or market standards.
Retail Level: Supermarkets discard about 43 billion pounds (approximately 19 million tons) of food each year in the U.S. alone.
Consumer Level: Households throw away about 31% of their purchased food.
Environmental Impact: The environmental impact is also significant; wasted food contributes to about 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions when considering the entire supply chain from production to disposal.


Natural Resource Waste

Water Usage: Agriculture accounts for approximately 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. It is estimated that around 50% of this water used for irrigation does not contribute to actual crop yield due to inefficiencies and wastage.

Oil Consumption: The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that around 6% of global oil consumption is attributed to agriculture-related activities (including machinery operation). However, there are losses in energy efficiency throughout the supply chain that further exacerbate resource wastage.

Energy Waste in Food Production: Estimates suggest that it takes about 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce just one calorie of food energy consumed by humans in industrialized countries due to inefficiencies in farming practices and transportation logistics.

Overall Resource Wastage: When combining these figures:

If we consider the total economic loss from wasted resources (food + water + energy), it could easily exceed $1 trillion annually when factoring in environmental degradation and lost productivity.


A 2018 report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) indicated that U.S. restaurants alone waste about 22 million tons of food annually.
The National Restaurant Association reported that about 4-10% of total restaurant sales are attributed to food waste.
If we apply these percentages to major chains like McDonald’s

McDonald’s: With over 38,000 locations worldwide as of 2023 and an average revenue per location estimated at around $2.5 million annually, this could imply a potential waste figure ranging from $100 million to $250 million annually just from their operations.

Subway: With over 40,000 locations globally and similar revenue metrics, they could also be contributing significantly to global waste figures.

When considering these numbers on a monthly basis:

If we take a conservative estimate that each restaurant wastes about 1% of its sales in good but unsold or unserved food (which is a common industry estimate), this could translate into approximately $8 million to $20 million wasted monthly across all McDonald’s locations alone.
Combining both chains:

If we assume similar rates for Subway’s operations, the combined monthly wastage could range between $16 million to $40 million for both brands globally.

it is reasonable to estimate that fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Subway collectively waste between $16 million to $40 million worth of good food globally each month due primarily to operational practices and policies against employee takeaway.


Many fast-food chains have strict policies against employees taking leftover or unused food home due to health regulations and liability concerns. This policy contributes significantly to the amount of good food that ends up being discarded rather than redistributed or consumed by employees.

Reduction of food wastes has several opportunities that will address some of the many significant problems such as: food safety environmental sustainability and responsibility to consumers Improving better strategies such as managing better invnetory food donation project and having employees take unsold foods home. It can greatly reduce the amount of quality forage that ends up in pastures. by distributing surplus foods. We can help alleviate hunger. The reason is that there remain approximately 828 million people in this world, who go malnourished. Even with such facts, a very large percentage of waste has been made in the way of food every year.

The environment considers waste reduction as a way of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Food waste largely contributes to the greenhouse effect since these gases are released during the food production cycle and during its final disposal. Reducing it can, therefore, be augmented by reducing it through some sustainable technologies in agriculture and food production. This makes waste reduction a priority for businesses and consumers alike.

Consumer side: Individuals play a huge role in managing food waste: Simple practices such as organizing food, understanding expiration dates, and composting help reduce household waste. It can help raise awareness and promote responsible consumption within ourselves, our families, and the wider community. We can come together to create an efficient food system that benefits both people and the planet.

[Farhan99]

Food waste is a massive global issue, with about one-third of all food produced for human consumption being wasted each year. This amounts to roughly 1.3 billion tons of food annually, costing around $940 billion. Despite this, 828 million people worldwide are undernourished. Food waste occurs at various levels, including production, retail, and consumer stages, and has significant environmental impacts, contributing to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Yes, the food that most adults waste is because they are trying to prove themselves to be adults, which is a mistake. We should all eat as much as we can and store the rest. But instead of doing that we throw it out and many poor people who are hungry for many days crave for this food.  However, it is our duty that we should not waste food and if we cannot eat it completely, then we should find a poor person and give it to him. But we don't think this thing even though it is wrong. We should consider this thing and you keep telling us that it costs so much but still many people sleep hungry.  We should search for such houses and personally go to their houses and give them food so that they also eat and sleep.  If we did that, it would make a difference to our glory, which is why we don't work.  If it is carefully worked on, we will have many benefits.

[franky1]

Global Food Waste: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons of food annually.

this top statement sugest total production is about 4billion tonnes=100%

however, lets then dig into this suggested waste amount:

Waste by Sector: Food waste occurs at different levels:

Production Level: Approximately 30% of fruits and vegetables are lost before reaching consumers due to factors like pests, diseases, or market standards.
Retail Level: Supermarkets discard about 43 billion pounds (approximately 19 million tons) of food each year in the U.S. alone.
Consumer Level: Households throw away about 31% of their purchased food.
Environmental Impact: The environmental impact is also significant; wasted food contributes to about 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions when considering the entire supply chain from production to disposal.

ok lets pretend we have 400 units of production(simple math of 4b tonne)
so the second statement suggests 30% is lost before reaching retailer/consumer.. so we are down to 280 units
the retail disgards 0.019b tonnes (2 units) so thats 278 units left
then consumers throw away 31%(86.18 units) of their purchase .. so now we are down to 191.82 units

so isnt this actually 52.045% of food wastage based on the second statements numbers

[Reatim]

Even i have money lol ....guys don't trough away good food let me have it u rich or poor Im sure you want to have it If the food is still good.

How I wish everyone had a mindset like this. But this kind of mindset only results from the kind of environment you grew up in. If you grew up with lack of security especially when it comes to food, it doesn’t matter how rich you get you will always feel the need to store food and consume as much as you can.

On the other hand, the constant development of industrialization and spread of capitalism allows for more food waste. More and more fast food are being produced and in return many are becoming more eager to consume everything and not finish food. It is quite frankly disappointing and disgusting. This culture of overconsumption is concerning and does not only apply to food.

Yes, the food that most adults waste is because they are trying to prove themselves to be adults, which is a mistake. We should all eat as much as we can and store the rest.

I don’t know if this is just a cultural difference but in my country it is the adults who do not waste food. It’s children who take more than what they actually need and end up playing with their food to the point that no one else can eat it afterwards. Well anyway it is established that there is a problem with the culture of overconsumption but we also need to consider that food waste is not only what happens when there’s food in your table. Some food gets wasted even before they hit the market. Unexpected events may affect plants and animals in the farm which result to food waste.

[shinratensei_]

food waste is unavoidable though, because the nature of food without perseverant usually expires within days, it can't be redistributed to the less unfortunate people, if it could I'm sure government will impose rule to reuse the excess food and reallocate it for charity purpose.

eventually this problem will be solved once we got better technology, as of now, nothing much we can do except trying to minimize food waste, even then there will still be many food waste undeniably.

Many fast-food chains have strict policies against employees taking leftover or unused food home due to health regulations and liability concerns. This policy contributes significantly to the amount of good food that ends up being discarded rather than redistributed or consumed by employees.

I believe this regulation exists for a reason, there were many speculations going around about why this regulation exist in the first place but the most logical one is to not deplete the value of the goods as well as avoiding hazardous food waste being consumed.

[icalical]

This problem also hugely involves chains such as McDonald's and Subway, which, due to their strict policies regarding leftovers, get to throw away food worth millions of dollars each month. Rather than pointing a finger at the system, we can also make some change. Many countries and businesses set aims to halve food waste by 2030, while a significant number of business outlets start the process of redistributing or donating unsold food. Better planning and wiser storage at the consumer level, not to mention donation of surplus, make all the difference. With an enormously huge issue like food waste, everyone can make a difference, even with small actions.

[Hewlet]

Many fast-food chains have strict policies against employees taking leftover or unused food home due to health regulations and liability concerns. This policy contributes significantly to the amount of good food that ends up being discarded rather than redistributed or consumed by employees.

food waste is a global trend accross all the nations of the world. I might not have the exact statistics on the level of waste accross all the level of food manufacturing from the ones that are wasted from the farms to others that are wasted at the processing section and even those that gets wasted at homes which I think contribute one of the highest level of waste. It's something that if well managed, a lot of poor people in the society will enjoy the benefit of it to the fullest.

Orphanages and homes for the less previledged and even the prison have witnessed the highest level of negligence in terms of support with food to inmates, orphans and even to people that are in the midst of disaster. Some warehouse would even wait for thier food to expire and waste it all instead of giving it out weeks before expiration knowing fully well that it's not possible to sell all of her commodity. Sometimes it's not like some society with a lot of poor people that are struggling to eat don't experience this wastage that would have been better recycled and given to the poor. It's just that some people prefer to have thier food waste than giving it out to others that are really I'm need of it.

[davis196]

There's only one solution for this problem and it's pretty unpopular. The governments removing completely the subsidies for the agriculture sector around the world. The subsidies for the agriculture sector are the main reason for the excessive production of food. However, removing the subsidies will lead to two things.
1.Food will become more expensive. The people will buy less food, so less food will be wasted and thrown into the garbage. More people, who live under the poverty line will be starving.
2.The farmers will start protesting and there will be social tensions.
No politician around the world has the balls to impose such unpopular solution, so the process of wasting food will continue.

[Cryptohygenic]

The waste of foods Is usually a cause of believe that they have surpluses and having enough money to always purchase them at their needy. So they do not care about the financial and human resources empowerment to get them produced.
They only have the insights that nomatter as long as it is what money can afford, they can away get it
That is why eateries like the McDonald's and some other buoyant organisations and homes could have such amount of valuable foods wasted.

[uneng]

Many fast-food chains have strict policies against employees taking leftover or unused food home due to health regulations and liability concerns. This policy contributes significantly to the amount of good food that ends up being discarded rather than redistributed or consumed by employees.

Then we can conclude a considerable portion o food waste is due to health regulations which enforce fast food chains to not allow their employees to take leftovers home. If the opposite happened, and leftover food was distributed, we would have another wave of complaints against fast foods, as they would be accused of giving rotten food to the miserables and employees (or slaves of capitalism). In every cases, the narrative must be against capitalism.

If there is food waste, it means there is prosperity, as surplus surpassed demand for food. However, nothing is really wasted on this matter, as leftovers can be used to feed animals or to produce fertilizers and even fuel through alternative sources of energy. Personally, I try consuming all the food I acquire, however, between lacking food and having surplus of it, I prefer the latter...

[iv4n]

Global Food Waste: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons of food annually.

Each day, 25,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, die from hunger and related causes. Some 854 million people worldwide are estimated to be undernourished, and high food prices may drive another 100 million into poverty and hunger.

The same source: https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/losing-25000-hunger-every-day

Only 10 companies control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world. These companies — Nestlé, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, Associated British Foods, and Mondelez — each employ thousands of employees and make billions of dollars in revenue every year.

So can we make any conclusions? While billions are being made, no one cares about all those people and children who die every day... far from the eyes far from the heart.

By the way, that "wasted food" ends up in food for dogs, cats, and all other animals...they just grind it all up, throw in some additives, and that's how various concentrates are created for all domestic animals... so that they grow faster (get fatter) to give even more yield. Does anyone care if it is healthy and where it leads? Billionaires eat healthy and have only their own farms, we mere mortals buy that junk... we don't even know what we are eating.

[coupable]

The waste of foods Is usually a cause of believe that they have surpluses and having enough money to always purchase them at their needy. So they do not care about the financial and human resources empowerment to get them produced.
They only have the insights that nomatter as long as it is what money can afford, they can away get it
That is why eateries like the McDonald's and some other buoyant organisations and homes could have such amount of valuable foods wasted.

The real problem is in the ways to address this loss; we have countries whose people consume many times more than they need, other countries that barely achieve self-sufficiency, and countries that are in a food deficit. Is there a way to achieve a balance that guarantees self-sufficiency for all? This is a fundamental question and I do not know who is responsible for answering it. The Food and Agriculture Organization can provide recommendations to countries to responsibly control the production and consumption processes, but it does not seem that any of the countries follow these recommendations in the absence of international oversight. It is unfortunate that a country like Sudan is going through a food crisis, and it has fertile lands, while other countries that do not produce anything have the highest consumption.

[Fiatless]

There's only one solution for this problem and it's pretty unpopular. The governments removing completely the subsidies for the agriculture sector around the world. The subsidies for the agriculture sector are the main reason for the excessive production of food. However, removing the subsidies will lead to two things.
1.Food will become more expensive. The people will buy less food, so less food will be wasted and thrown into the garbage. More people, who live under the poverty line will be starving.
2.The farmers will start protesting and there will be social tensions.
No politician around the world has the balls to impose such unpopular solution, so the process of wasting food will continue.

Removing agricultural subsidies will cause more harm than good. Farmers will out of business because most of them might start experiencing losses. Which will lead to loss of jobs and poverty. The prices of goods will also go high, making it difficult for the poor to survive. Most farmers might be forced to leave farming which might cause food insecurity.

My candid solution is for the government to seek avenues to export the excess agricultural products. Wasted food could also recycled to produce other important materials. Is it better for a country to produce excess agricultural products than to lack food?

[Mr.sprin]

The waste of foods Is usually a cause of believe that they have surpluses and having enough money to always purchase them at their needy. So they do not care about the financial and human resources empowerment to get them produced.
They only have the insights that nomatter as long as it is what money can afford, they can away get it
That is why eateries like the McDonald's and some other buoyant organisations and homes could have such amount of valuable foods wasted.

Yes, bro, it often happens among upper middle class people, it's a different story with lower middle class people, we really appreciate what we have, and it's so hard for us to find a little food for ourselves so we can use it wisely without just throwing it away. so that our food is wasted due to acquisitions that are so difficult for us to have, unlike those that are easy for them to obtain so they can just waste food like that.

[AmoreJaz]

The real problem is in the ways to address this loss; we have countries whose people consume many times more than they need, other countries that barely achieve self-sufficiency, and countries that are in a food deficit. Is there a way to achieve a balance that guarantees self-sufficiency for all? This is a fundamental question and I do not know who is responsible for answering it. The Food and Agriculture Organization can provide recommendations to countries to responsibly control the production and consumption processes, but it does not seem that any of the countries follow these recommendations in the absence of international oversight. It is unfortunate that a country like Sudan is going through a food crisis, and it has fertile lands, while other countries that do not produce anything have the highest consumption.

We will indeed see the irony of things here. I believe it is how the government is managing and overlooking things in their jurisdiction. We may see unfair practices but the bottom line lies on how the government itself is handling their programs.

We may see the wide disparity, but like it or not, it is the government responsible in handling this business. This is why, politicians should know what they are doing and not just because they are popular why they got the position. Corruption is rampant everywhere and I believe, that's one major factor why some countries can't move forward.

[shield132]

This problem also hugely involves chains such as McDonald's and Subway, which, due to their strict policies regarding leftovers, get to throw away food worth millions of dollars each month. Rather than pointing a finger at the system, we can also make some change. Many countries and businesses set aims to halve food waste by 2030, while a significant number of business outlets start the process of redistributing or donating unsold food. Better planning and wiser storage at the consumer level, not to mention donation of surplus, make all the difference. With an enormously huge issue like food waste, everyone can make a difference, even with small actions.

McDonalds is very expensive where I live. In other words, if you aren't rich, eating here will take over your monthly salary. It's something that the average person can't afford regularly in my country.
There is a supermarket chain SPAR in my country. After 20:00 PM, they set a 50% sale on every food that they produce and that sale works till 00:00. I think that many companies should implement this approach on a limited number of foods instead of throwing away leftovers.
Gladly, some companies in my country don't throw away leftovers and donate them to charity or homeless people but at the same time, the sad fact is that some liars and dishonest people act like beggars to get free launch.

I think that one good trick that will help people to waste less product will be to not shop when they are hungry. When you are hungry, you buy things that you don't need and when you get satisfied, then you understand that you bought more than necessary food.

[l99l]

As long as there is automation, food waste will be inevitable because food production and supply are very fast.
Therefore, on the contrary, automation may be necessary to avoid waste, but everyone only thinks about profitability, in fact, they will make more profit by preventing waste, but no one cares about that.

[Findingnemo]

Interesting stats, On one side people starve to death and on the other side, we almost waste half the production.

There is no single-stop solution to reduce the food wastage, it need contribution from everybody to make it happen, the waste at the production level can be reduced by strict monitoring controls and try to not to mess up with anything other than it's supposed to be then from the consumers we have to take it as responsibility of don't waste any food so there by making only what's necessary and if there's any left overs make use of it by storing them in right way.

[JeffBrad12]

Interesting stats, On one side people starve to death and on the other side, we almost waste half the production.

There is no single-stop solution to reduce the food wastage, it need contribution from everybody to make it happen, the waste at the production level can be reduced by strict monitoring controls and try to not to mess up with anything other than it's supposed to be then from the consumers we have to take it as responsibility of don't waste any food so there by making only what's necessary and if there's any left overs make use of it by storing them in right way.

It's a tough problem to solve.

in a region where food is abundant due to effective production of the food, the price becoming cheaper and a lot of the supply becomes rotten.
on the region where such food is scarce, the price sky rocket.

of course as traders and business will try to take advantage of that but the difficulty of logistics has always been the biggest wall blocking us from actually utilizes all the food available in the world and end world hunger.

but just like any other thing, maximum efficiency is always difficult, so until now, there's no real solution to end world hunger through utilization of wasted food.