Alarming Facts About Food Waste – Backstage Country

Report on Global Food Waste and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

A report released by Earth.org on World Food Day 2025 highlights the critical issue of global food waste, framing it as a significant impediment to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings indicate that current patterns of food consumption and production are unsustainable, contributing to environmental degradation, economic loss, and social inequity.

The Scale of Food Waste: A Challenge to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

The magnitude of food waste directly undermines global efforts to achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). While millions face food insecurity, a substantial portion of edible food is discarded.

• Globally, 1.6 billion tons of food, representing 25-30% of total production, are wasted each year.
• This wasted volume is equivalent to 1.3 meals per day for every person in the world.
• In the United States, 66 million tons of food were lost in 2019 from retail, food service, and residential sectors, accounting for nearly 40% of the country’s food supply.

Environmental Impacts: Contradictions to SDGs 6, 13, and 15

The resources consumed to produce food that is never eaten place immense strain on planetary systems, working against key environmental SDGs.

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Agriculture utilizes nearly 70% of global freshwater. The 2024 UN World Water Development Report notes that 24% of this water is used to grow food that is ultimately wasted.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Approximately 60% of food waste in the U.S. is sent to landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to the climate emergency.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): In the U.S. alone, food waste accounts for the consumption of 18% of cropland and 19% of fertilizer, leading to unnecessary land degradation and ecosystem stress.

Drivers of Food Waste: A Failure in Responsible Consumption (SDG 12)

Achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), particularly Target 12.3 to halve per capita food waste by 2030, requires addressing the root causes of waste, which are prevalent at both the consumer and retail levels.

1. Household Contribution: Households are the primary source of food waste, responsible for 60% of discarded edible food. The average American family of four spends nearly $3,000 annually on food that is not consumed.
2. Consumer Confusion: A Respect Food survey found that 63% of people misunderstand “use by” and “best before” date labels, leading to the premature disposal of safe-to-eat food.
3. Aesthetic Standards in Retail: In the U.S., approximately 60 million tons of produce are discarded annually because they do not meet cosmetic standards.
4. Marketing and Purchasing Habits: Supermarket promotions often encourage consumers to purchase more food than needed, increasing the likelihood of waste.

Strategic Recommendations for Achieving SDG 12.3

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provide actionable guidance for consumers and retailers to mitigate food waste, aligning with the principles of SDG 12.

• Develop comprehensive meal plans based on existing food inventory before shopping.
• Purchase food in quantities that can be realistically consumed, avoiding bulk buying unless practical.
• Employ proper food storage techniques to maintain freshness and extend the life of perishable items.
• Prepare appropriate portion sizes and properly store leftovers for later use.
• Creatively repurpose food scraps and remaining ingredients to minimize what is thrown away.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article connects food waste directly to food security by stating that the amount of food wasted “equates to 1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world.” This highlights the paradox of massive food waste coexisting with global hunger, making SDG 2 highly relevant.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article explicitly links food waste to water consumption. It cites the “2024 UN World Water Development Report,” noting that “agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of global freshwater usage, and 24% of that water is used to produce food that will ultimately be discarded.” This inefficient use of a critical resource directly relates to SDG 6.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  This is the central SDG addressed in the article. The entire piece focuses on the “staggering” amount of global food waste, from production to consumption. It details waste at the retail, food service, and residential levels, and discusses consumer behavior, such as misunderstanding “use by” dates and aesthetic preferences for produce, which are key aspects of unsustainable consumption patterns.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article links food waste to climate change by stating that the “throw-out” culture is “adding to the global climate emergency.” It also mentions that a large percentage of food waste is sent to landfills (“Approximately 60% of this waste was sent to landfills”), where it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, thus contributing to climate change.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 12.3: Halve per capita global food waste

  This target aims to “by 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains.” The article directly addresses this by quantifying waste at these levels, noting that “households waste more than 1 billion meals worth of edible food daily, making them the biggest offender in food waste, responsible for 60% of lost food.” It also mentions waste in the retail and food service sectors.

• Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation

  This target focuses on substantially reducing waste generation through prevention and reduction by 2030. The article supports this by highlighting the volume of waste, such as the “66 million tons of lost food” in the U.S. and the fact that “92% of American household food waste ends up in a landfill.” The EPA recommendations provided in the article are all strategies for waste prevention and reduction.

• Target 6.4: Increase water-use efficiency

  This target aims to “by 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors.” The article’s data that “24% of [agricultural] water is used to produce food that will ultimately be discarded” and that U.S. food waste “uses up to 21% of freshwater” directly points to a massive inefficiency in water use within the food system. Reducing food waste would directly improve water-use efficiency.

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to food

  While the article doesn’t discuss food access programs, it highlights the potential to address hunger by reducing waste. The statement that wasted food could provide “1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world” implies that redirecting this surplus could help achieve universal access to safe and nutritious food.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 12.3 (Food Loss Index and Food Waste Index):

  The article provides several statistics that serve as direct measures for this indicator. These include:

  • The global percentage of food wasted: “approximately 25-30% of all food produced worldwide.”
  • The total volume of global food waste: “about 1.6 billion tons — is wasted.”
  • National food waste data: “In 2019, the U.S. wasted almost 40% of the country’s entire food supply — 66 million tons.”
  • Breakdown of waste by sector: “households… responsible for 60% of lost food.”
• Indicator for Target 12.5 (National recycling rate, tons of material recycled):

  The article provides data points that measure the opposite of recycling—the amount of waste sent to disposal. This can be used to track progress in waste reduction. The key indicators mentioned are:

  • The percentage of food waste sent to landfills in the U.S.: “Approximately 60% of this waste was sent to landfills.”
  • The volume of landfill space consumed by food waste: “21% of landfill volume.”
• Indicator for Target 6.4 (Change in water-use efficiency over time):

  The article provides baseline data to measure water-use inefficiency related to food production. Progress could be measured by a reduction in these figures:

  • The percentage of global agricultural water used for food that is wasted: “24% of that water is used to produce food that will ultimately be discarded.”
  • The percentage of national freshwater resources consumed by food waste in the U.S.: “food waste uses up to 21% of freshwater.”

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: backstagecountry.com