New Zealand is throwing away 1.22 million tonnes of food a year, and the first national tally shows farms and homes are the biggest leaks

From crops left behind on farms to food forgotten in household fridges, New Zealand is losing or wasting more than a million tonnes of food every year. The country's first nationwide assessment has now revealed where the biggest losses occur, exposing major gaps at both the beginning and end of the food supply chain. According to the Ministry for the Environment , every year, about 1.22 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted, equivalent to roughly 237kg per person, with primary production and households accounting for the largest shares.

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