Food wastage has reached unprecedented levels worldwide. According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, the total cost of food loss and waste to the global economy is estimated at roughly US$1 trillion. The report states that one-fifth of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, amounting to around one billion meals every day.
Apart from the economic impact, food wastage also poses an environmental problem when discarded food ends up in landfills, where it contributes to methane emissions. According to the Society for Science, food waste accounts for about 58% of methane emissions from landfills.
