Over a billion tonnes of food wasted yearly: which countries waste the most, and how to reduce waste at home

Hunger and wasted food

World Food Day falls on October 16 and marks the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. This year’s theme, “Innovate today, nourish tomorrow”, calls for food systems that feed more people while wasting less.

The UN estimated that 645 million people, or 7.8 percent of the world’s population, faced hunger in 2025. That share fell from 8.1 percent in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, but the total remained about 61 million above the 2019 figure.

Africa had an estimated 309 million undernourished people in 2025, equal to one in five people on the continent and nearly half of the world’s hungry population. The 2026 Global Hunger Index classed conditions as alarming in eight countries, seven of them in Africa; Somalia had the worst score among 122 countries ranked.

Where food waste occurs

More than a billion tonnes of food are wasted annually, while roughly one in every five plates served worldwide ends up in the bin. Food can be lost at any point between farms and tables, and food lost before reaching shops is valued at more than $400bn a year by the FAO.

Practical ways to waste less

Before shopping, check what is already at home, plan meals and use a list to avoid buying more than needed. “Use by” labels relate to safety, while “best before” dates refer to quality; food may remain safe after the latter date.

Keep the fridge at 5C (41F) or below, and store produce where it will last longest. Bananas can make nearby fruit ripen faster, while freezing bread, cooked meals, meat and many fruits and vegetables can help preserve them.

Measure portions of foods such as rice and pasta, move older items to the front of cupboards and the fridge, and turn leftovers into new meals. Vegetable peels and stalks can go into soups or stocks, while inedible scraps such as eggshells can be composted instead of sent to landfills, where rotting food releases methane.