NEW YORK: The United Nations urged governments, businesses and households to reshape food systems and curb waste, saying the world discards more than 1 billion tonnes of food each year even as hunger persists across many regions. The appeal came as the UN marked the 2026 International Day of Zero Waste, which focused on food waste and its effect on food security, costs and the environment. UN data show that about 19% of food available to consumers is wasted, while 13% is lost after harvest and before retail.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the volume of food thrown away each day is enough to prepare 1 billion meals, while 9% of humanity goes hungry. The UN said the annual observance, first held in 2023 and jointly facilitated by the UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat, is intended to push governments and cities toward lower-waste consumption and production models. The agencies said the latest campaign centers on building more accessible and efficient food systems, while cutting pressure on land, water and energy used to produce food that is never eaten.
The UN said households account for the largest share of waste, at 60%, followed by food service at 28% and retail at 12%. It added that households alone waste more than 1 billion meals a day. UNEP has said food loss and waste generate 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, much of it linked to organic waste decomposing in landfills and releasing methane. Officials also said the economic cost of food loss and waste totals about $1 trillion a year, underscoring the scale of inefficiency in global food supply chains.
Food waste and hunger
UN officials laid out a series of measures aimed at reducing waste from farms to cities. They said consumers can cut losses through changes in shopping, meal planning and cooking habits, while retailers can improve stock management and redistribute safe surplus food. Cities were urged to expand organic waste separation and strengthen food procurement for schools and hospitals. National governments were also asked to include food waste in climate and biodiversity plans and to build public-private partnerships that support tracking, prevention and redistribution.
In a speech for the Zero Waste Day event in New York, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said food waste is an urgent but preventable crisis that is draining resources and adding to climate pressures. She cited examples from Japan and the United Kingdom, which UNEP said have reduced food waste by 53% and 22%, respectively. Andersen also pointed to the Food Waste Breakthrough, a UNEP-led initiative with Brazil, Japan and the UK that aims to halve food waste and cut methane emissions by as much as 7%.
Policy focus widens
The 2026 campaign carries the theme, “Zero waste starts on your plate,” and links waste reduction to broader efforts to create circular food systems. UNEP and UN-Habitat said the observance stems from a 2022 UN General Assembly resolution introduced by Turkiye along with 105 other member states. The agencies said the initiative is designed to move food waste from a household budgeting issue to a broader policy priority involving supply chains, municipal systems, public institutions and data collection needed to track progress toward the goal of halving food waste by 2030.
The UN said action on food waste can improve food availability, reduce unnecessary use of inputs such as water, soil and energy, and lower emissions tied to discarded food. It also said better donation systems, clearer date labeling, stronger cold chains and improved handling and storage can help reduce losses before food reaches stores or is thrown away by consumers. With food prices and environmental pressures still weighing on many countries, the organization said cutting waste is a practical step toward more resilient food systems and more efficient resource use – By Content Syndication Services.