This Sunday 29 September is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Food waste has negative impacts across society, affecting not only food security but also our economies and societies. It is staggering that in 2024, almost one third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. In Europe alone, 59 million tonnes of food are wasted each year, at the cost of billions of euros. Meanwhile, millions of Europeans cannot afford a healthy meal every day. This is an unacceptable waste of resources, from water and land to energy and labour.
Food loss and waste is also a danger for our environment. Every tonne of food waste contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change and depleting our planet's natural resources. It is therefore our moral and ecological imperative to act.
In the European Union we are committed to halving food waste per capita in retail and consumption by 2030, in line with our pledge under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for responsible consumption and production worldwide. To accelerate our progress, we have put forward a set of legally binding targets to reduce waste across the food chain, from manufacturing to households. This is what our citizens expect from us.
Achieving this goal requires the collective effort of all sectors of society—governments, businesses, and individuals. The fight against food waste very much depends upon our daily choices and actions. It is time to improve how we buy and eat food, rethink our food system, and encourage sustainable consumer habits. We will see the positive effects of this also in our wallets with less money spent on wasted food.
This coming Sunday, I urge every European citizen to reflect on what we can do to help the planet, the economy and society around us. Food means life. It is far too precious to end up in the bin.
Let us act together now to make this vision a reality and to all be part of the solution.
