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Over one-sixth of all food produced globally ends up thrown away, a UN analysis has found. Around 931 million tonnes of food went into the waste bins of households, retailers, restaurants and other food services in 2019.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UK charity WRAP, which promotes sustainability, looked at food waste in retail outlets, restaurants and homes by reviewing government data and academic studies across 54 countries with a mix of incomes.
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Their joint 2021 Food Waste Index Report found that 17 per cent of all food produced is thrown away by consumers. Most of this waste – 11 per cent of total food – occurs in homes. Globally, the average person throws away 121 kilograms of food, with 74 kg of this happening within households.