In the pursuit of catalyzing essential action to reduce food waste and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, understanding the scope of food waste becomes paramount. Measuring food waste not only provides insight into the magnitude of the issue but also unveils opportunities for intervention while establishing a baseline for progress tracking. The Food Waste Index Report 2021 served as a pivotal milestone in comprehending global food waste trends across retail, food service, and household sectors. It revealed a wealth of food waste data, particularly at the household level, shedding light on consistent per capita household food waste generation worldwide.
Building upon its predecessor, the Food Waste Index Report 2024 takes significant strides forward in three key areas. Firstly, it incorporates an extensive array of data points from around the globe, offering substantially more robust global and national estimates, as detailed in Chapter 2 of the main report. Secondly, the 2024 report expands upon the SDG 12.3 food waste measurement methodology introduced in 2021, providing enhanced guidance on measurement techniques across retail, food service, and household sectors. This expanded guidance delves into various methodologies, their strengths and limitations, and strategies for prioritizing sub-sectors for measurement, as elucidated in Chapter 3.
Moreover, the report marks a transition from solely focusing on food waste measurement to actively exploring solutions for food waste reduction. A dedicated chapter delves into effective approaches for reducing food waste globally, with a special emphasis on public-private partnerships in the 2024 report. This strategic shift underscores the imperative of not only understanding the scale of the problem but also taking decisive action to address it.
As the world grapples with the complex challenge of food waste, the insights and recommendations presented in the Food Waste Index Report 2024 serve as a crucial roadmap for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders to collaboratively work towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. By harnessing the power of data, innovation, and collective action, meaningful progress can be achieved in the global fight against food waste, paving the way for a more equitable and sustainable future for all.