In 2024, the world wasted about 2.5 billion tons of food, which is more than one-third of all food produced. This amounts to about one billion meals wasted every day.

• In the United States, 30–40% of the food supply is wasted each year, according to the USDA.This amounts to billions of pounds of food and dollars worth of waste.

• Households Households waste at least one billion meals a day, according to the UN Food Waste Index Report 2024. 

Food waste impact

• Environmental impact: Food waste contributes to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases. 

• Economic impact: Food waste costs money, and the UN estimates that over a trillion dollars worth of food is wasted each year. 

Reducing food waste

• Reducing food waste can help communities save money and strengthen food security. 
• Stop Food Waste Day is a day to recognize the problem of food waste and inspire change

Food waste in the United States

• In 2019, 66 million tons of food was wasted in retail, food service, and residential sectors 
• 40 million tons of food was wasted in manufacturing and processing 
• 51.7% of food waste comes from the food industry 
• Food waste costs the economy billions of dollars each year 

Food waste's environmental impact

• Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions 
• Food waste wastes resources like land, water, and energy 

Reducing food waste

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has a website to help citizens reduce food waste.

Food waste's social impact

Food waste is a social justice issue because it prevents food that could be used to feed people from being wasted.

Food loss is also a root cause of hunger worldwide