Food wastage is a significant global issue affecting both economies and sustainability.
This dataset provides insights into food waste trends across different countries from 2018 to 2024, categorized by food type, economic loss, and per capita waste.
It is a valuable resource for data analysts, policymakers, and sustainability researchers.

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✅ Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
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✅ Food Sustainability Research 🌱

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China and India, the world's most populous countries in the world, were some of the largest producers of food waste, with an estimated *** million and ** million metric tons in 2022, respectively. It is estimated that per capita food waste production is highest in Western Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sources of food waste The global population produced approximately *********** metric tons of food waste in 2022. This represented roughly ** percent of total food made available. Household food waste was the main source of food waste that year, accounting for ** percent of the total. The second main source of food waste was the foodservice sector. Why is food waste such a problem? Food waste has many societal impacts. It not only costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and depletes resources, but it also harms the environment and contributes to the climate crisis. When food waste is dumped at landfill sites it rots and produces large volumes of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste accounts for an estimated **** percent of global food system greenhouse gas emissions, which in 2015 totaled **** billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

Every year huge quantities of food are discarded worldwide. On average, 132 kilograms of food were wasted per person in 2022, with households wasting an average of 79 kilograms per person. Food waste is a major issue worldwide, not just in terms of hunger, but also emissions. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to food waste.

It is estimated that over *********** metric tons of food waste was produced worldwide in 2022. Households produced around *** million metric tons, which translates to a per capita food waste generation of ** kilograms, or ** percent of total generation. Meanwhile, food service generated nearly *** million tons of food waste across the globe.

Food losses and food waste (FLW) have become a global concern in recent years and emerge as a priority in the global and national political agenda (e.g., with Target 12.3 in the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). A good understanding of the availability and quality of global FLW data is a prerequisite for tracking progress on reduction targets, analyzing environmental impacts, and exploring mitigation strategies for FLW. There has been a growing body of literature on FLW quantification in the past years; however, significant challenges remain, such as data inconsistency and a narrow temporal, geographical, and food supply chain coverage. In this paper, we examined 202 publications which reported FLW data for 84 countries and 52 individual years from 1933 to 2014. We found that most existing publications are conducted for a few industrialized countries (e.g., the United Kingdom and the United States), and over half of them are based only on secondary data, which signals high uncertainties in the existing global FLW database. Despite these uncertainties, existing data indicate that per-capita food waste in the household increases with an increase of per-capita GDP. We believe that more consistent, in-depth, and primary-data-based studies, especially for emerging economies, are badly needed to better inform relevant policy on FLW reduction and environmental impacts mitigation.

Per capita household food waste generation varies significantly across the globe. In 2022, an estimated *** kilograms of food waste per capita were generated in Northern Africa. Meanwhile, the average eastern European generated almost one-third of this value, at ** kilograms per person. Globally, food waste generation in households was estimated at ** kilograms per capita.

Description:

There is growing recognition that human-provided food resources are becoming increasingly available to animals across the globe (Oro et al., 2013). The food resources that are wasted by humans have influenced predators’ ecology and behavior and can indirectly affect their co-occurring species, leading to mostly negative ecological effects (Newsome et al., 2014). However, large increases have been found in the abundances of terrestrial mammalian predators such as coyotes (Canis latrans), cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), which are associated with their access to waste foods provided by humans (Denny et al., 2002; Fedriani et al., 2001; Shapira et al., 2008). Therefore, under anthropogenic global changes where human activities are continually expanding, a spatially explicit data for waste foods is essential to assessing the ecological effects of anthropogenic food subsidies to species occurrences and abundances.

The repository contains a global dataset consisting of four different variables to depict anthropogenic food waste index: household food waste (tons/year), food service food waste (tons/year), retail food waste (tons/year), and total human-provided food waste (tons/year). To produce the dataset, I first allocated the food waste estimates (kg/capita/year) to 30 arc-second grid cells for each county. The food waste estimates for 2021 were generated by normalizing different food waste measurements to a single metric (i.e., kg/capita/year), accounting for known biases or different scopes of measurement, and aggregating a series of studies or observations if multiple observations existed in a geographic entity of interest (United Nations Environment Programme 2021). The food waste estimates were then multiplied by the estimated population count for 2021 produced by Sims et al. 2022. The data files were produced as global rasters at 30 arc-second (~1km at the equator) resolution in geotiff format under WGS 84 geographical coordinate system.

Keywords: Anthropogenic food subsidies, human-provided food wastes, household food waste, food service food waste, retail food waste, food availability, anthropogenic global changes, human activities

Reference:

United Nations Environment Programme (2021). Food Waste Index Report 2021. Nairobi.

Denny, E., Yaklovlevich, P., Eldridge, M.D.B. & Dickman, C.R. (2002) Social and genetic analysis of a population of free-living cats (Felis catus L.) exploiting a resource-rich habitat. Wildlife Research, 29, 405–413.

Fedriani, J.M., Fuller, T.K. & Sauvajot, R.M. (2001) Does availability of anthropogenic food enhance densities of omnivorous mammals? An example with coyotes in southern California. Ecography, 24, 325–331.

Newsome, T. M., Dellinger, J. A., Pavey, C. R., Ripple, W. J., Shores, C. R., Wirsing, A. J., & Dickman, C. R. (2015). The ecological effects of providing resource subsidies to predators. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24, 1-11.

Oro, D., Genovart, M., Tavecchia, G., Fowler, M. S., & Martínez‐Abraín, A. (2013). Ecological and evolutionary implications of food subsidies from humans. Ecology letters, 16(12), 1501-1514.

Shapira, I., Sultan, H. & Shanas, U. (2008) Agricultural farming alters predator–prey interactions in nearby natural habitats. Animal Conservation, 11, 1–8.

Sims, K., Reith, A., Bright, E., McKee, J., & Rose, A. (2022). LandScan Global 2021 [Data set]. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.48690/1527702.

The Food Waste Reduction market is rapidly evolving into a critical sector focused on minimizing the food waste generated across various stages of the supply chain, from production to consumption. This market plays a pivotal role in addressing the pressing issue of food scarcity and environmental sustainability. Wit

This statistic represents the percentage of food wasted worldwide in 2017, broken down by food category. As of 2017, fruits and vegetables accounted for 38 percent of the volume of food loss and waste worldwide.

Food Waste Management Market size was valued at USD 42.15 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 60.64 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.65% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

Global Food Waste Management Market Drivers

The market drivers for the Food Waste Management Market can be influenced by various factors. These may include:

Environmental Concerns: The adoption of food waste management systems is being driven by a growing awareness of environmental issues, including climate change, and the substantial environmental footprint of food waste. Governments and businesses are concentrating more on encouraging sustainability and cutting waste. Regulatory Pressures: To reduce food waste and promote sustainable waste management techniques, governments all over the world are putting laws and policies into effect. These laws frequently have goals for recycling and trash reduction, which encourages firms to use food waste management solutions Economic Incentives: Businesses across the food supply chain suffer large financial losses as a result of food waste. By recovering and reusing food waste, companies can possibly generate new revenue streams while also cutting trash disposal expenses by putting into place efficient food waste management procedures. Growing Urbanisation and Shifting Lifestyles: As a result of rising urbanisation and shifting consumer habits, there is a greater demand for food, which raises food waste levels. Food waste management solutions are in high demand as a result of this trend, especially in urban areas where the infrastructure for managing garbage is frequently under stress. Technological Developments: More effective and efficient methods of managing food waste are being made possible by developments in technology, including machine learning, data analytics, and Internet of Things sensors. These tools assist companies in identifying areas for improvement, monitoring and managing food waste more effectively, and making the most use of their resources. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): To show their dedication to social and environmental responsibility, many businesses are integrating sustainability and food waste reduction programmes into their CSR plans. Investments in food waste management technologies are being driven by this emphasis on sustainability in a number of industries. Consumer knowledge and Demand: Businesses are being influenced to give food waste reduction and management top priority by consumers' growing knowledge of food waste issues and their demand for sustainable products and practices. In response, businesses are putting measures into place to reduce waste at every stage of the supply chain and informing customers about these initiatives.

379 Active Global Food Waste buyers list and Global Food Waste importers directory compiled from actual Global import shipments of Food Waste.

Food Waste Management Market Outlook

The global food waste management market size is projected to grow from USD 35.7 billion in 2023 to USD 54.8 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0% during the forecast period. One of the primary growth factors driving this market is the increasing awareness about the environmental and economic impacts of food waste. Governments, organizations, and consumers are becoming more conscious about the significant amount of food wasted annually and its detrimental effects on natural resources, prompting initiatives for more efficient waste management solutions.

A key driver for the food waste management market is the rising global population, which directly correlates with increased food production and consumption, consequently leading to more food waste. With the United Nations projecting the global population to reach approximately 9.7 billion by 2050, managing food waste efficiently has become imperative to ensure sustainability. Furthermore, urbanization and changing consumption patterns contribute to higher food wastage, particularly in urban centers where the infrastructure for waste management is often inadequate or underdeveloped, highlighting the need for advanced food waste management systems.

Another significant growth factor is the increasing regulatory pressure from governments worldwide. Many countries have instituted stringent policies aimed at reducing food waste and promoting recycling and sustainable waste management practices. For instance, the European Union has set ambitious targets to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030 as part of its broader circular economy action plan. These regulations compel businesses to adopt more efficient waste management practices, thus driving the market for food waste management solutions.

Technological advancements and innovations in waste management processes also contribute to market growth. The development of novel technologies like anaerobic digestion, which converts food waste into biogas, and advanced composting methods has enhanced the efficiency of food waste management. Additionally, the integration of smart technologies and IoT in waste management systems allows for better tracking, monitoring, and optimization of waste collection and processing, further propelling market growth. The ongoing investment in R&D for new, sustainable waste management solutions is expected to offer significant opportunities for market expansion.

Regionally, the Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness substantial growth in the food waste management market owing to the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the region. Countries like China and India are experiencing significant increases in food production and consumption, leading to more food waste. The adoption of stringent environmental regulations and the growing awareness about sustainable practices are driving the demand for advanced food waste management solutions in this region. Additionally, substantial government initiatives and funding to develop waste management infrastructure further support market growth in the Asia Pacific.

Waste Type Analysis

The food waste management market is segmented by waste type, which includes cereals, dairy products, fruits & vegetables, meat, fish & seafood, processed food, and others. Cereals constitute a significant portion of food waste due to their extensive use in both household and industrial sectors. Losses occur at various stages, from production to processing and consumption. Managing cereal waste is crucial as it involves high-caloric content and potential nutrient recovery, which can be utilized for animal feed or biofuel production, bolstering market demand for efficient waste management solutions.

Dairy products account for another significant segment in food waste. Due to their perishable nature, dairy products often spoil quickly, leading to substantial waste. The management and recycling of dairy waste are particularly challenging but crucial, given its environmental impact. Advanced processes like anaerobic digestion are utilized to transform dairy waste into biogas, a renewable energy source. Such innovations are propelling the growth of this segment within the food waste management market, addressing both environmental concerns and energy needs.

Fruits and vegetables are the largest contributors to food waste globally, primarily due to their high perishability and the significant volume produced. Efficient management of fruit and vegetable waste is vital, not only t

This data is a compilation of the status of food waste generation by city and county in Gyeonggi Province, and provides information such as the amount of food waste generated (tons), population (people), and average amount generated per person per day (kg). The data can be used to establish resource circulation and waste reduction policies, set food waste reduction goals, and create environmental education materials. The data is updated annually and managed by the Gyeonggi Province Resource Circulation Division. Food waste is one of the items subject to separate disposal, and can be recycled through energy recovery or composting during the processing process, so continuous monitoring of the amount generated is directly related to environmental protection. The data is provided as an API in XML and JSON formats. - Food waste: Generally includes food scraps and food ingredient waste generated in households or restaurants, and is waste that can be recycled through composting or feed conversion. - Daily amount generated per person: This refers to the average amount of food waste generated by one person per day, and is used as an indicator of waste management efficiency.

103616 Global import shipment records of Food waste with prices, volume & current Buyer’s suppliers relationships based on actual Global import trade database.

The Food Waste Collection and Recycling market plays a pivotal role in addressing the ever-increasing issue of food waste, which accounts for approximately one-third of all food produced globally. As awareness of sustainability continues to rise, both consumers and businesses are seeking effective ways to minimize t

Food Waste Management Software Market Outlook

The global food waste management software market size was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 3.5 billion by 2032, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.5% from 2024 to 2032. The significant growth in this market is driven by increasing awareness about food waste, stringent government regulations, and the adoption of advanced technologies for efficient food waste management.

One of the key growth factors propelling the food waste management software market is the rising global concern over food waste and its environmental impact. With approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption wasted globally, there is a compelling need for efficient solutions to tackle this issue. Governments and organizations are increasingly recognizing that effective food waste management can mitigate environmental damage, save resources, and improve food security. This awareness has led to the adoption of sophisticated software solutions designed to streamline food waste tracking, reduction, and management processes.

The implementation of stringent regulations and policies by governments worldwide is another critical driver for the market. For instance, the European Union has set ambitious targets to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, while countries like France and the United Kingdom have introduced laws that mandate businesses to donate unsold food. Such regulatory initiatives are compelling businesses to adopt food waste management software to comply with legal requirements, thus boosting market growth. These regulations not only encourage businesses to reduce waste but also foster collaboration across the food supply chain to achieve sustainable practices.

Advancements in technology are further catalyzing the growth of the food waste management software market. The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and data analytics into food waste management solutions has revolutionized the way food waste is monitored and managed. These technologies enable real-time tracking of food waste, predictive analytics for waste reduction, and efficient resource allocation. The ability to analyze large datasets and derive actionable insights allows businesses to implement proactive measures, thereby reducing food waste and optimizing operations. This technological evolution is expected to continue driving market expansion over the forecast period.

Regionally, North America is anticipated to hold a significant share of the food waste management software market, owing to the presence of major market players, advanced technological infrastructure, and supportive government policies. The region's proactive stance on sustainability and waste reduction, coupled with the high adoption rate of innovative technologies, positions it as a key market for food waste management solutions. Additionally, Europe and Asia Pacific are also expected to witness substantial growth, driven by increasing regulatory pressures and rising consumer awareness about food waste issues.

Component Analysis

The food waste management software market can be segmented by component into software and services. The software segment includes various types of applications designed to track, monitor, and manage food waste across different stages of the supply chain. These software solutions offer features such as data analytics, reporting, and integration with other systems to provide comprehensive waste management capabilities. The growing demand for such sophisticated software solutions is driven by the need for real-time tracking, predictive analytics, and enhanced operational efficiency. As businesses continue to seek ways to optimize their waste management processes, the software segment is expected to witness robust growth.

On the other hand, the services segment encompasses consulting, implementation, training, and support services provided alongside the software solutions. These services are crucial for ensuring the successful deployment and operation of food waste management software. Consulting services help organizations assess their waste management needs and design customized solutions, while implementation services ensure seamless integration of the software with existing systems. Training and support services are essential for educating users on how to effectively utilize the software and address any issues that may arise. The demand for these services is likely to grow in tandem with the increasing adoption of food waste management software, as organizations seek to maximize the

The Food Waste App market has emerged as a vital component in the fight against food waste, which is a pressing global issue resulting in environmental, economic, and social challenges. With consumers and businesses increasingly recognizing the impacts of waste on the planet, food waste applications are designed to

These data were used to generate the results in the article “Household Food Waste Trending Upwards in the United States: Insights from a National Tracking Survey,” by Ran Li, Yiheng Shu, Kathryn E. Bender & Brian E. Roe, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (doi – https://doi.org/10.1002/jaa2.59). The Stata code used to generate results is available from the authors upon request. U.S. residents who participate in consumer panels managed by a commercial vendor were invited by email or text message to participate in a two-part online survey during four waves of data collection: February and March of 2021 (Feb 21 wave, 425 initiated, 361 completed), July and August of 2021 (Jul 21 wave, 606 initiated, 419 completed), December of 2021 and January of 2022 (Dec 21 wave, 760 initiated, 610 completed), and February, March and April of 2022 (Feb 22 wave, 607 initiated, 587 completed), July, August and Septemper of 2022 (Jul 22 wave, 1817 initiated, 1067 completed). We are not able to determine if any respondents participated in multiple waves, i.e., if any of the observations are repeat participants. All participants provided informed consent and received compensation. Inclusion criteria included age 18 years or older and performance of at least half of the household food preparation. No data was collected during major holidays, i.e., the weeks of the Fourth of July (Independence Day), Christmas, or New Years. Recruitment quotas were implemented to ensure sufficient representation by geographical region, race, and age group. Post-hoc sample weights were constructed to reflect population characteristics on age, income and household size. The protocol was approved by the local Internal Review Board. The approach begins with participants completing an initial survey that ends with an announcement that a follow-up survey will arrive in about one week, and that for the next 7 days, participants should pay close attention to the amounts of different foods their household throws away, feeds to animals or composts because the food is past date, spoiled or no longer wanted for other reasons. They are told to exclude items they would normally not eat, such as bones, pits, and shells. Approximately 7 days later they received the follow-up survey, which elicited the amount of waste in up to 24 categories of food and included other questions (see supplemental materials for core survey questions in Li et al. 2023). Waste amounts in each category are reported by selecting from one of several ranges of possible amounts. The gram weight for categories with volumetric ranges (e.g., listed in cups) were derived by assigning an appropriate mass to the midpoint of the selected range consistent with the food category. For the categories with highly variable weight per volume (e.g., a cup of raw asparagus weighs about 7 times more than a cup of raw chopped arugula), we use the profile of items most consumed in the United States to determine the appropriate gram weight. For display purposes, the 24 categories are consolidated into 8 more general categories. Total weekly household food waste is calculated by summing up reported gram amounts across all categories. We divide this total by the number of household members to generate the per person weekly food waste amount.

This statistic shows the share of food that is wasted globally, both the share that is perceived by the consumer and the actual value. In 2018, the average household in the United States estimated that they wasted 15 percent of purchased food but actually wasted 24 percent of their food items.