Food waste

Have you ever wondered why our refrigerators become overstuffed with meats, vegetables, and various fruits, only to discover at week’s end that much of it—often the majority—must be discarded due to spoilage?

In a world brimming with plenty, the silent epidemic of food waste continues to plague both our plates and our planet, with staggering implications for economies, ecosystems, and global equality. As Radina Kaldamukova expertly highlights in her analysis for "Klimateka," the scale of this crisis demands urgent attention and concerted action.

Food waste is a global tragedy at a time when millions of people are going hungry, a UN official says, stressing that food waste is a global tragedy

The European Union has put forward a plan to impose binding targets on its 27 member states to slash food waste from households, retailers and restaurants 30 percent this decade.

Brussels estimates the bloc generates almost 59 million tons of food waste a year - or 131 kilograms per person.

That represents a loss of some 132 billion euros ($144 billion).

A recent report has found that Cypriots have a tendency to purchase more food than they actually need, leading to unnecessary waste and higher expenses. However, the report also noted that this behavior is slowly improving, as more people become aware of the issue and take steps to address it.

A total of 1 million worms at the facility of the Zeytinburnu Municipality in Istanbul that feed on organic waste collected from marketplaces and groceries have produced a ton of fertilizer for use in horticulture.

Ljubljana – The average person in Slovenia threw away 68 kilograms of food last year, one kilogram more than in 2019, of which 40% was still edible. Households and foodstuffs trade generated more food waste, while food production and the catering and food service industries generated less, the Statistics Office data show.

Food banking will be one of the most effective weapons in preventing food waste in Turkey, the country's forestry and agriculture minister said on April 20. 

Ljubljana – A Slovenian resident discarded some 1.3 kilos on average per week in 2019 or 67 kilos in the entire year, the Statistics Office data show. Almost 40% of food waste or some 26 kilos was edible.

Households threw away most food in 2019, half of the entire amount or almost 69,900 tonnes.

If food waste was a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, said a UN official.