The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that around 1.6 billion tonnes of the main product equivalent are wasted as the globe observes the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.

According to the FAO's Food Wastage Footprint and Impact on Natural Resources report, 1.3 billion tonnes, or 81 percent of this total, are edible.

The FAO stated in a report posted on its website that "the total volume of water used each year to produce food that is lost or wasted (250km3) is equivalent to the annual flow of Russia's Volga River, or three times the volume of Lake Geneva." "Food wastage's carbon footprint is estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of GHG released into the atmosphere per year."

According to the paper, food that is lost or wasted is produced on 1.4 billion hectares of land annually, or 28% of the world's agricultural area.

According to the report, agriculture is responsible for a majority of threats to at-risk plant and animal species tracked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The report said a low percentage of all food wastage is composted and that much of it ends up in landfills, and represents a large part of municipal solid waste resulting in Methane emissions, one of the largest sources of GHG emissions from the waste sector.

“Developing countries suffer more food losses during agricultural production, while in middle- and high-income regions, food waste at the retail and consumer level tends to be higher. The direct economic consequences of food wastage (excluding fish and seafood) run to the tune of $750 billion annually,” the report said.

In this regard, a research Scientist at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Dr. Stella AgyemanDuah, has asked that the quality of food produced in the country should not be compromised.

She said causes of food loss and waste could not only be attributed to post-harvest losses but warm or humid environments which promote insect, pest, and microorganism infestation.

In her view, consumer rejection due to aesthetic defects of produce especially fruits and vegetables is equally high in developed countries contributing to food loss.

“In reducing these challenges, shortening the food supply chain, and promoting food security, the standards of food produce should not be compromised,” DrDuah said in an article to mark the day.

Governments’ investment at the local level to reduce food losses and waste, she said, must be visible and reflective in the farmers’ lives.

To this end, Dr. Duah said the global trend of food insecurity in the world should necessitate the provision of storage facilities like silos by governments for staples to avoid glut in bumper seasons.

“On the part of consumers, it is important to promote planetary health by making a shopping list and buying what is needed. Consumers who decide to shop in bulk should be sure of adequate storage in their homes. It is kind to share leftovers with the needy. Do not throw them away, it contributes to global warming,” she advised.