International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed annually on September 29. As its name suggests, this day is for raising awareness among both the public and private sectors about the importance of reducing food loss and waste. Wasted food is not only an ethical and humanitarian concern but also a problem for the planet.

Research shows that when food goes into a landfill and rots, it produces methane—a powerful greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming even more than carbon dioxide. Another problem with food waste is that it costs billions of dollars every year.

The History of International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

This holiday was created in December 2019 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an organization that was established in 1945 to defeat world hunger. They created this holiday to highlight the negative impact that food waste has on not only food availability but also food security and the environment.

Important Facts About Food Waste

Below are some important facts about food waste that we feel all of our readers will find informative. When we first discovered how much food was wasted on a daily basis, we knew that we had to take action to do something about it. And one way we can do that is by taking the time to inform our readers about this problem.

• Approximately 33% of all food produced for human consumption each year is wasted. That’s enough to feed 3 billion people annually.
• Food loss and waste account for over 4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
• In Europe, approximately 40-60% of caught fish are discarded because they do not meet supermarket standards.
• In the U.S., organic waste is the largest source of methane emissions.

Observing the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

Everyone is encouraged to examine their food waste and take the necessary steps to reduce it. While it might not be possible to avoid all food waste, there are certain actions that the average person can take to reduce the amount of food they waste. They can buy only the amount of food they need, compost vegetable and fruit waste, and ensure to rotate their food stock.

On this day, people are also encouraged to learn more about food waste, join a campaign to reduce food waste around the world, and donate any canned foods to food pantries and other places that could use the food. People are also encouraged to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #DayOfAwarenessOfFoodLossAndWaste on social media.