Scientists: A third of all food goes to landfill

More than a billion tons of products are consumed worldwide every year, according to a new UN-initiated study. About one-third of all food produced for human consumption goes to waste, according to a study initiated by the UN Food Agency. This amounts to over one billion tons of waste worldwide each year. Research authors advise developing countries to improve their production and distribution process to stop the loss of food.

At the same time, industrialized countries, experts say, have to stop emitting so much. A UN study conducted by the Swedish Institute of Food and Biotechnology aims at an international food packaging fair to be held in Germany in May. Consumers in rich countries have been found to be emitting the same amount of food (more than 200 million tons) that all sub-Saharan Africa produces. Researchers also found that fruits and vegetables, including root vegetables and tubers, go to the trash most among all types of food.

“Loss” or “waste”

The report, initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, divides the problem into two parts: the loss of food and its waste.

Losses occur during production, processing and distribution of products.

Most of all this concerns developing countries. Therefore, they are advised to improve production technology and infrastructure.

Product waste is a key problem in industrialized countries.

First of all, it is that sellers and consumers dispose of usable food in the trash.

Each consumer in Europe and North America accounts for about 100 kg of food consumed per year. Consumers from sub-Saharan Africa and most Asian countries emit only 6-11 kg per person.