Here are some basic facts (source: UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024): 

1. One-fifth of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. This amounts to one billion meals a day.

2. The total cost of food loss and waste for the global economy is estimated at roughly US$1 trillion.

3. Food loss and waste generates up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – almost five times the total emissions compared to the aviation sector.

4. Sixty percent of food waste happens at household level.

5. Food waste is higher in hotter countries, both at the household level and in the post-harvest phase, with high temperatures affecting storage, processing and transportation of food.