Food waste is defined as food and its inedible components eliminated from the human food supply chain. In 2022, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food. One-fifth (19%) of available food is wasted by retailers, food service providers, and households.
According to the “Food Waste Index Report 2024” published by the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), food waste is a market failure that results in the discarding of more than US$1 trillion in food each year. It is also an environmental failure, as food waste accounts for 8-10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions (including loss and waste) and occupies approximately 30% of agricultural area.
The Food Waste Index Report, which analyzes country-level progress toward halving food waste by 2030 (SDG 12.3), found that households generate the majority of the world’s food waste. Households accounted for 631 million tons, or 60%, of total food waste in 2022, followed by the food service sector with 290 and the retail sector with 131.
According to the survey, Nigeria has the highest household food waste rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an average of 113kg per person per year. Tanzania households waste 152kg of food per person annually, Uganda 110kg, Seychelles 183kg, Rwanda 141kg, and Mozambique 92kg.
UN forecasts show that food waste is a global tragedy, causing approximately 783 million people to go hungry. The paper recommends that governments improve data collecting and provide best practices for shifting from monitoring to reducing food waste.
| Country | Household Estimate (kg/capita/year) | Household Estimate (tonnes/year) | Confidence in Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | 152 | 9,960,496 | Medium confidence |
| Uganda | 110 | 5,209,076 | Medium confidence |
| Seychelles | 183 | 20,089 | Medium confidence |
| Rwanda | 141 | 1,937,761 | Medium confidence |
| Nigeria | 113 | 24,791,826 | Medium confidence |
| Mozambique | 92 | 3,033,197 | Low confidence |
| Madagascar | 92 | 2,724,081 | Low confidence |
| Niger | 92 | 2,411,286 | Low confidence |
| Burkina Faso | 92 | 2,085,610 | Low confidence |
| Mali | 92 | 2,078,251 | Low confidence |