Happy International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2025

Happy International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), 29 September, 2025. 2025 Theme: "Stop food loss and waste. For the people. For our planet." Reducing food loss and waste is very important, whether in the short term or long term, especially with a growing global population and the fact that more than 700 million people are starving now.

Please be aware that currently there are:

1. An estimated 13.2 percent of food – the equivalent of 1.25 billion tonnes – was lost globally after harvest and prior to reaching retail shelves in 2021 (FAO, 2023). 

2. An estimated 19 percent of food – the equivalent of 1.05 billion tonnes – was wasted in households, food service and retail in 2022 (UNEP, 2024). 

3. Households account for 60 percent of global food waste (UNEP, 2024). 

4. Approximately 28.9 percent of the global population – 2.33 billion people – were moderately or severely food insecure in 2023 (FAO et al., 2024). 

5. One out of eleven people in the world faced hunger in 2023 (FAO et al., 2024). 

6. Food loss and waste generate 8 to 10 percent of global GHG emissions (IPCC, 2019).

Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost 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. Every action taken to reduce food loss and food waste matters. I personally have been doing this since I was a child, thanks to my family.

All parties must be aware of this: consumers, civil society, businesses, academia, and governments. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are the leading agencies for this day. Learn about all the materials they have prepared and use them for free to spread the need to be more responsible in food production and consumption.