China, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, and the United States are among the countries that throw away the most food, namely 236.47 million tons annually.
Levels of household food waste are almost the same in high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income countries, according to Insider Monkey.
- China – 91.6 million tons of household food waste per year
It is noted that China throws away the largest amount of food per household – almost 6% of the total production. As the country's middle class grows, so does the demand for a variety of foods, often leading to over-purchasing and wastage. Inefficient supply chain management also plays a major role in this waste, as the journey from farm to table is fraught with logistical challenges.
"The Chinese government has recognized this problem and is taking measures to reduce food waste, including information campaigns and technological interventions to improve agricultural practices," the article said.
- India – 68.7 million tons of household food waste per year
India is said to be facing serious wastage problems arising from inefficiencies throughout the food supply chain. Food waste per capita in the country is 50 kg, which is 68.7 million per year. That is, 40% of the total food production turns into food waste.
Despite this, according to the UN, more than 200 million Indians are malnourished. The country's government is working with various non-governmental organizations to address these issues by improving agricultural practices to improve supply chain efficiency.
- Nigeria – 37.94 million tons of household food waste per year
The article highlighted that the average volume of household waste per capita in sub-Saharan Africa is 108 kg, compared to 74 kg in the rest of the world. Nigeria's smallholder farmers, who form a large part of the agricultural sector, often lack access to modern farming practices and efficient storage facilities, resulting in post-harvest losses.
- Indonesia – 20.93 million tons of household food waste per year
It is noted that food loss in Indonesia costs the country $13-32 billion per year, which is almost 2% of GDP. About 77 kg of food waste is generated per capita.
These losses are mainly caused by the lack of access to modern farming technologies and effective post-harvest processing methods. This leads to losses even before the food reaches the market. The topography of the country makes transportation difficult and causes further losses, especially for perishable goods.
- USA – 19.3 million tons of household food waste per year
According to Feeding America, 40% of all food in the U.S. is wasted, amounting to $408 billion a year. This amount of waste is influenced by a number of factors, including the large amount of food and the prevalence of large portions, especially in the restaurant industry.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, experts have prepared 13 tips on how to reduce the amount of food waste, because it causes more than 10% of global carbon emissions.
