In 2021, hunger affected about 800 million people worldwide, while the European Union saw a large share of food produced not used. A report by the environmental group Feedback EU highlights that a sizable portion of food in the EU ends up wasted and calls for bold laws with binding targets to cut waste.
Global food loss and waste amount to about 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and incur around one trillion dollars in costs each year. It is a global challenge that places environmental, social, and economic burdens on countries and regions, including the EU.
A striking reminder: if food waste were a country, it would be among the top emitters of greenhouse gases, behind only the United States and China. Feedback EU notes that food production has a major impact on the environment.
Each year, about 153.5 million tonnes of food are wasted within the EU, while imports of agricultural products total roughly 138 million tonnes. Wasteful practices impose costs on businesses and households in the EU estimated at 143 billion euros and contribute at least 6 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
With drought and inflation following the war in Ukraine, a tenth of EU food production is lost along the chain.
an untenable situation
Experts and nonprofit groups describe the current state as unsustainable: wasteful food production worsens hunger, drives climate change, and leads to substantial economic losses.
The NGO emphasizes that food, its production, distribution, and disposal affect forests, water, and land, while it accounts for a large share of the global greenhouse gas footprint and strains fresh water and soils.
The Feedback EU movement includes the EU, the European Environment Office, and groups such as Zero Waste Europe, Too Good to Go, and OLIO, along with members of the EU Food Loss and Waste Platform.
The platform urges the EU to adopt legally binding targets aimed at sharply reducing food waste. It recalls that a 2015 goal was to cut waste by 50 percent by 2030, yet progress has stalled since then.
In the EU, Feedback EU notes that about 89.8 million tonnes of food are wasted in primary production, a figure several times higher than household waste. It also acknowledges that much waste may escape measurement because unharvested crops and farm losses are not always counted.
The report concludes with a clear call: reducing food waste supports climate goals, improves food security, saves money for citizens, governments, and businesses, and promotes climate justice and human rights.
The authors urge officials to enact ambitious binding laws that reduce waste by at least 50 percent by 2030, applying across the entire supply chain from farm to fork. The message is urgent: there is no time to delay.
Spain: One out of every three foods is wasted
What is happening in Spain? The pattern mirrors broader trends, with more than 8 million tonnes of food discarded annually along the supply chain. The saying one in three foods goes to waste reflects this reality.
Campaigns such as LeySinDesperdicio advocate for an ambitious framework built on ten core points:
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Focus on preventing loss and waste rather than managing surpluses.
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Measure losses and waste at every stage of the food chain.
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Track not only how much is wasted but also what proportion is wasted in different contexts.
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Support aggregation to reduce waste and monitor losses in the primary sector.
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Clearly define what constitutes food loss and waste to avoid ambiguity.
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Make measurement mandatory for all actors along the chain.
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Include actions that facilitate compliance and deter evasion of the law.
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The administration should play a central role in monitoring compliance.
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Set deadlines and provide tools for implementation.
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Create a governance area where all stakeholders can participate in implementation and monitoring to guide proper law application.
The reference report is available from Feedback EU; it documents the data and arguments behind the call for binding action.
Public signatures attached to the LeySinDesperdicio campaign are cited as a mechanism to demonstrate broad support for strong measures.
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The environment department omits direct contact details here and focuses on the policy discussion and public engagement around food waste reductions.