Farms waste 1 billion tons of food per year. And that’s disastrous for the weather

(CNN Business) – Around 2.5 billion tons of food is wasted each year around the world, about half on farms, including those in Europe and the United States. And that is having a huge impact on the climate.

A report released Wednesday by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UK retailer Tesco reveals that the amount of food lost is almost double the United Nations’ previous estimates. for Food and Agriculture (FAO), which in 2011 carried out its last analysis on total food waste from when it is produced on farms until it reaches the table.

The loss of food on farms amounts to 1.2 billion tons. Retailers and consumers waste 931 million tons more. The rest is lost during transportation, storage, and processing.

Updated figures indicate that 40% of all food produced is not consumed, according to the study.

“We have known for years that food loss and waste is a huge problem that can be minimized, which in turn could reduce the impact of food systems on nature and the climate,” he said in a release Pete Pearson, leader of the global initiative on food loss and waste at WWF.

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Food waste is responsible for 10% of emissions

According to the study, food waste is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. This figure is higher than the previous estimate of 8%.

This is almost double the emissions generated by all cars used in the United States and Europe, where in recent days wildfires and catastrophic floods have been a painful reminder of the serious threats posed by the climate crisis.

“Food production uses an enormous amount of land, water and energy, so wasted food has a significant impact on climate change,” the report says.

Despite their effect on the environment, only 11 of the national carbon plans submitted by the 192 signatories to the Paris Agreement include measures to address food loss and waste.

Most of the plans that include the issue are from African countries addressing post-harvest losses, despite the fact that agriculture in more industrialized countries, with higher levels of mechanization, contributes more to food waste than is known thought previously.

Put the focus on farms

Rich countries in Europe, North America and Asia contribute 58% of the world’s wasted crops despite having only 37% of the population, according to the report. However, efforts to reduce food waste in wealthier countries tend to focus on retail and consumption.

“The loss of food in the production phase on farms is a major point of food waste that has been overlooked,” the report says. Reasons for waste include a disconnect between markets and farmers, which can lead to mismatches in production volume, crop types, and timing of harvest.

Other factors include unfair trade practices and the higher priority farmers and governments give to export crops over those for domestic consumption.

The report calls on governments and the food industry to set food waste reduction targets, measure and report waste, and develop strategies to address it.

Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said several of the retailer’s suppliers will report their waste for the first time this year, helping them address the problem. The company has been working with 71 of its largest global suppliers to reduce food waste and reported a reduction of more than 40% compared to a 2016-2017 baseline, Murphy added.