SUSTAINABILITY

Food waste. On March 4, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a report titled “Food Waste Index 2021.” One of the main data it reported is that 17% of all food available to consumers is wasted. For this reason, the agency has the objective of designing, together with the other 193 member countries, reliable mechanisms for measuring food waste. The expectation is that, with better information, progress can be made in a food waste reduction scheme to meet the goal of zero hunger set in the 2030 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). 

The figures projected in the report indicate that in 2019 alone, 931 million tons of food produced in points of sale, restaurants and homes would have been wasted. Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, recalled the benefits of reducing food waste, for example its advantages in favor of the environment and reducing hunger, and therefore called on companies, governments and citizens to do their part in tackling this problem worldwide. The organization also warned that, to address this problem, it is necessary to start with clear and precise measurements of food waste, for which the entity will provide a methodology that countries can use in this regard. 

The organization also warned that, to address this problem, it is necessary to start with clear and precise measurements of food waste, for which the entity will provide a methodology that countries can use in this regard. In practice, UNEP also reported that it will form regional working groups to help develop these measurement capabilities before the end of 2022, when the next round of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting is expected to take place. 

Next steps.

UNEP will work with interested governments to implement a new measurement mechanism to improve information on food that is wasted. This will be the first step towards achieving, by 2030, a substantial decrease in the percentages of food that are discarded without being consumed. The implementation of the new measurement systems is expected to advance this year, with the goal being operational by 2022.