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SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
Indicator 12.3.1 - Global Food Loss and Waste

SDG target 12.3 has two components, Losses and Waste that should be measured by two separate indicators.

 

Sub-Indicator 12.3.1.a - Food Loss Index

The Food Loss Index (FLI) focuses on food losses that occur from production up to (and not including) the retail level. It measures the changes in percentage losses for a basket of 10 main commodities by country in comparison with a base period. The FLI will contribute to measure progress towards SDG Target 12.3.

Sub-Indicator 12.3.1.b - Food Waste Index

A proposal for measuring Food Waste, which comprises the retail and consumption levels is under development. UN Environment is taking the lead on this sub-indicator.

Target 12.3

By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.

Sub-indicator 12.3.1a: Progress Assessment
Impact

This sub-indicator measures changes in the food losses from along the supply chain from the point of maturity on the production site to the retails level. The objective is to show the impact of policy and investment on the efficiency of the supply chain. FAO recommends collecting data for the various stages (harvest, post-production, storage, transportation, primary processing and wholesales) to help countries tailor programs to improve the efficiency and functioning of their food supply system. FAO also recommends a food systems approach that addresses food losses and waste in the context of other policy priorities.

Key results

The world has made no apparent progress in reducing food losses since 2015.

The percentage of food lost globally after harvest on farm, transport, storage, wholesale and processing levels is estimated at 13.3 percent in 2023, up slightly from 13.0 percent in 2015, when global monitoring began. This marginal increase falls within the expected range of model oscillations and is primarily driven by updates to national production data and newly available or revised country-level estimates.

Slight increases in food loss levels were recorded across most regions between 2015 and 2023. An exception is Eastern and Southeastern Asia, where the regional average remained relatively stable, increasing only marginally from 13.8 percent to 13.9 percent, driven by a small decrease in South-eastern Asia. Northern America and Europe continue to report the lowest regional loss at 10.0 percent, up from 9.4 percent in 2015, while sub-Saharan Africa remains the highest at 23.0 percent, up from 22.1 percent. Other high-loss regions include LDCs at 19.9 percent and SIDS at 19.0 percent, both slightly higher than in 2015. These persistently high rates reflect systemic constraints in post-harvest infrastructure and supply chains.

At the global level, food loss patterns vary significantly by commodity group. Fruits and vegetables account for the highest losses, increasing from 23.2 percent in 2015 to 25.4 percent in 2023, due to their high perishability and handling requirements. Meat and animal products remained relatively stable, rising slightly from 13.9 to 14.0 percent. Roots, tubers and oil-bearing crops decreased from 12.6 to 12.3 percent, while cereals and pulses saw a minor decline from 8.5 to 8.4 percent.

Highlights

MC_Target_12.3

Research and field test reports:
Guidelines on the measurement of harvest and post-harvest losses:
Pilot surveys (Ethiopia):
Training materials: 
Elearning
SDG indicator 12.3.1 – Global food losses
01/09/2022

The e-learning course covers the sub-indicator 12.3.1.a the Food Loss Index (FLI) which will aid countries in reducing food losses along production...

E-learning courses on SDG indicators (with digital badge certification)
01/05/2023

Food loss analysis case study methodology
01/08/2019

Food loss is a complex issue, often with multiple and interrelated causes operating at different levels. This e-learning course introduces the FAO Case...

Multimedia
SDG 12 – Indicator of global food losses
01/01/2019

An overview of SDG indicator 12.3.1, measuring global food losses.

Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators (2022)
01/09/2022

Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators offers detailed analyses and trends on selected indicators for which...

Capacity development

Virtual Event

Workshop on Measuring Food Losses in Latin America and the Caribbean
29/09/2025 - 01/10/2025

Organized in the framework of FAO’s technical assistance for the Sustainable Development Goal indicators, and on the occasion of the “Sixth International...

Virtual Event

Seminario regional de fortalecimiento de capacidades en la medición y reporte del indicador 12.3.1.(a) de los ODS
18/11/2021 - 19/11/2021

En el marco del proyecto de cooperación técnica subregional TCP/RLA/3730, la FAO organizó, del 18 al 19 Noviembre de 2021, una formación virtual...

Virtual Event

Sub-Regional Capacity Development: Workshop Series on Food Losses and Food Waste Measurement and Reporting (Eastern European countries)
09/12/2020 - 31/08/2021

Organized by FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) in collaboration with the FAO-HQ Statistics Division (ESS). the capacity...

(Italy)

Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition: Food post-harvest losses
25/03/2020

This series of technical webinars, organized by Agreenium (l'Institut agronomique, vétérinaire et forestier de France), UN-ESCAP (United Nations...

Chiba (Japan)

Regional Training on the Measurement of Post-Harvest Losses in Asia and the Pacific
22/10/2019 - 24/10/2019

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a training for Asian countries on SDG Indicator 12.3.1a "Global food...

Chiba (Japan)

Regional Workshop on Farm Survey Based SDG Indicators (2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.4.1, 5.a.1 and 12.3.1a)
21/10/2019 - 24/10/2019

The overall goal of the regional workshop was to provide government officials responsible for SDG monitoring with capacity development in methodology,...

Cairo (Egypt)

Regional Workshop on Farm Survey Based SDG Indicators (2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.4.1, 5.a.1 and 12.3.1a)
07/10/2019 - 10/10/2019

The overall goal of the regional workshop was to provide government officials responsible for SDG monitoring with capacity development in methodology,...

Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)

Regional Workshop on SDG Indicator 12.3.1a
15/09/2019 - 19/09/2019

A regional workshop for LAC member countries was organized by the FAO-OEA/CIE-IICA working group on agricultural and livestock statistics for Latin...

Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

FAO Workshop on SDG Indicator 12.3.1a
11/06/2019 - 13/06/2019

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a training for African countries on SDG Indicator 12.3.1a "Global food...

Roma (Italy)

FAO workshop on SDG Indicator 12.3.1
03/11/2018 - 03/12/2018

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a training in FAO Headquarters on SDG Indicator 12.3.1.a. 

The...

Chiba (Japan)

Regional Training Course on the Measurement of Post-Harvest Losses in Asia and the Pacific
22/10/2018 - 24/10/2018

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a regional training in Chiba, Japan for countries in the Asia and Pacific...