Food Loss and Waste Fact Sheet

One-third of the world’s food is lost or wasted, undermining efforts to end hunger and malnutrition while contributing 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In low- and middle-income countries, over 40 percent of food loss occurs before a crop even makes it to market, whether due to inadequate storage in hot or humid climates, pests or microbes, spoilage, spillage in transport or otherwise. Eliminating food loss and waste would provide enough food to feed two billion people, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing food loss and waste is critical to global food security, nutrition, and climate change mitigation.