Summary
This report, produced jointly by UNEP and WRAP, establishes a methodology and baseline data for tracking food waste at global and national scale, contributing to progress monitoring under UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. It estimates that 931 million tonnes of food were wasted in 2019, with households accounting for the largest share, and demonstrates that food waste is a significant issue across all country income groups rather than being confined to high-income nations. The report also provides guidance to governments on how to conduct or commission national food waste assessments using a tiered measurement approach.
UK applicability
The UK, through WRAP, was a co-author of this report and UK household food waste data informed the methodology; the findings are directly applicable to UK policy, particularly in the context of Defra's food waste reduction ambitions and WRAP's ongoing Courtauld Commitment work.
Key measures
Total food waste (million tonnes); per capita food waste (kg/capita/year); sectoral breakdown (household, food service, retail); Food Waste Index score
Outcomes reported
The report estimates the volume of food wasted globally in 2019, disaggregated by sector (household, food service, retail), and presents a methodology for national-level food waste measurement. It finds approximately 931 million tonnes of food wasted annually, representing around 17% of total food available to consumers.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.