Facts and figures
Last updated: July 2025
Agrifood systems use about 30 percent of globally available energy. (IRENA and FAO, 2021)
70 percent of energy consumed in agrifood systems occurs after farmgate, on transportation, processing, packaging, shipping, storage and marketing. (IRENA and FAO, 2021)
Agrifood systems contribute about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to reliance on fossil fuels. (IRENA and FAO, 2021)
2.1 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities, relying instead on traditional biomass (e.g., solid biomass, kerosene or coal) with adverse effects on health, the environment and economic development. (World Bank, 2025)
30 percent of the global population lacks access to stable and sustainable energy for cooking and heating. (World Bank, 2025)
666 million people do not have access to electricity. (World Bank, 2025)
Approximately one-third of the food we produce is lost or wasted (UNEP 2023 and FAO 2024), and with it around 38 percent of energy consumed in agrifood systems. (FAO, 2014)
526 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted due to lack of refrigeration. (UNEP and FAO, 2022)
