Per capita household food waste of selected countries worldwide 2020

Every year billions of tons of food is wasted around the world. While it has often been believed that food waste is more of a problem in wealthier countries, estimates show that the problem is also prevalent in developing nations too. Although China and India produce the most household food waste every year, the average volume produced per capita in these countries is less than 70 kilograms. In comparison, people in Australia produce 102 kilograms of food waste every year on average.

Dealing with food waste

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most common types of food waste. Households are the largest food waste producing sector, however, they are not the only part of the system that is responsible for the waste. To solve the issue of food waste, we must also look at other establishments along the chain, including farms, supermarkets, and restaurants. Food loss along the supply chain can be caused by overproduction, product damage, lack of refrigeration (cold-chain infrastructure), and market fluctuations. To reduce food waste, there are various approaches that may focus on specific areas of the supply chain, information policies and education programs, and developing governmental regulations to improve the situation.