Vast amounts of food are lost or wasted across the food chain, often before they ever reach our plates. But the real scandal of food waste is not only what it does to the climate or to landfills. It is that so much of it is not waste at all.

As the world marked the International Day of Zero Waste on Monday, a United Nations expert emphasized the urgent need to tackle food waste, warning that while billions of tons of edible food are lost along the supply chain each year, hundreds of millions of people continue to go hungry worldwide.

This year’s International Day of Zero Waste focuses on food waste – what we eat, what we waste, and how we can reduce food waste as a pathway to environmental protection, greater economic stability, stronger community resilience and more accessible, efficient food systems.

Marking the International Day of Zero Waste, state authorities, associations, charity organizations and private-sector representatives convened in Tbilisi on 30 March for a national forum on food loss and waste reduction and food donation.

On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Waste, FAO, IFAD, and WFP, together with the Republic of Türkiye, marked the tenth anniversary of the Technical Platform on the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste (TPFLW).

The webinar brought together experts from across FAO divisions and regional offices to map existing initiatives and identify opportunities where food safety perspectives could strengthen ongoing FLW work. The event reviewed key FAO initiatives and regional projects addressing FLW.

Food loss and waste (FLW) can be a reservoir and even an accelerator for anti-microbial resistance (AMR), highlighting that it should be integrated into AMR surveillance and management strategies, according to experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

With global temperatures and food insecurity both on the rise, governments and private-sector companies are increasingly turning to cold chain infrastructure as a way to reduce post-harvest food loss.

The Asian Regional Symposium jointly organized by COSAMB, FAO, and WUWM, positioned Surat as a benchmark city for sustainable wholesale markets and circular economy practices.

Indonesian Central Statistics Agency and FAO conducted a workshop in Jakarta to enhance the country’s capacity to monitor and reduce food loss using the global Food Loss Index methodology.

As world leaders gather in Brazil to discuss the climate crisis, the mass wasting of food needs our attention.

Speakers and “Food Heroes” including Indigenous Leader Judy Kipkenda, Professor and chef Ricardo Frugoli and celebrity chefs Victoire Gouloubi and Xin Ge Liu told inspirational stories, while offering tips on nutrition and healthy diets, food diversity and reducing food waste.

The targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive entered into force on 16 October, introducing common rules for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles and setting binding food waste reduction targets for Member States.

Here, Bottura shares how turning attention to food waste is not only an environmentally responsible thing to do, but also an act of memory and beauty.  

This project in Kinale is part of a larger UNEP effort to support the rollout of cold chain infrastructure across rural Africa. “Cold chains are a win for farmers and a win for the environment,” says Hongpeng Lei, Chief of UNEP’s Climate Mitigation Branch.

Special event at FAO headquarters marks the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2025.

On 29 September 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a special event at the United Nations Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, to celebrate the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. 

On the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with 11 chefs from 8 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, launched the #SinDesperdicioChallenge. This social media challenge encourage...

This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is marking the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) by highlighting the importance of using data to prevent food waste.

On the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), the Liaison Offices of FAO and UNEP in Brussels visited SOCITY BXL, a local non-profit led by young entrepreneurs passionate about sustainable food. SOCITY rescues unsold organic and bio food from partners such...