Why Avoid Food Waste?

 Ireland, along with almost 200 other countries, has committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including: “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.” The Charter promotes a collective industry commitment to measure, reduce and report food waste along the entire food supply chain. Food waste is a global issue, having negative impacts on the environment, society, and the economy. One quarter of the food that is produced worldwide is lost or wasted. Given that 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by food loss and waste, it has a substantial impact on the climate as food production, processing, and transportation all require substantial amounts of energy, water, and land.