International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
September 29th, 2021
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste is recognized on September 29th. As Gleaners, we fight food loss and address food insecurity with every item harvested. We encourage you to connect with us or a network organization to learn more and get involved. We'll be back in 2023 with dedicated MGN events to celebrate!
Happy gleaning!
FOOD LOSS
Globally, around 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail (meaning, it never even makes it to your table). This could be due to market competition, cosmetic imperfections, labor shortages, etc.
FOOD WASTE
An estimated 17% of total global food production is wasted (11% in households, 5% in the food service and 2% in retail).
In other words: it goes bad before a person can eat it, then gets tossed into the garbage.
"Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is loss or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food - including water, land, energy, labour and capital - go to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, and contribute to increasing the cost of food."
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations