1.3 billion tonnes of food lost or wasted per year - FAO

1.3 billion tonnes of food lost or wasted per year - FAO

In this festive season, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is calling for an end to the wasting of food. The organization recalls that 1.3 billion tonnes of food products, one-third of all food produced globally, is wasted or lost each year. “It is an excess in an age where almost a billion people go hungry, and represents a waste of the labour, water, energy, land and other inputs that went into producing that food,” the FAO stated.

In Belgium, annual food loss has been evaluated at 3.6 million tonnes. “Walloon households throw away between 14 and 23 kilogrammes per capita, which represents an annual financial loss estimated at 174 euros per year, then Walloon ministers Carlo Di Antonio, René Collin and Maxime Prévot reported in 2015 at the presentation of Wallonia’s programme against food losses and wastage.

In the capital, annual domestic food waste is an estimated 15kg per person, according to Bruxelles Environnement.

The FAO stressed that having enough food was a privilege and urged against waste. It also provided a series of practical recommendations for cutting down on food waste, such as planning meals beforehand and using leftovers.


The Brussels Times


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