Food waste

The impact of food waste

Food waste, and food loss which occurs when food is lost before it reaches consumers, are a global challenge. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about one third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain.

In the EU, over 59 million tonnes of food is wasted every year, which is 132 kg per person.

Where food waste is generated

Over half of the food waste in the EU comes from households. This is nearly twice as much as the food waste generated during production or processing. The graph shows the amount of food waste per sector based on a total of 132kg of waste per capita.

Text version

Pie chart showing where food waste is generated, split by percentage:

household contribution: 54%
food manufacturing: 19%
restaurants and food services: 11%
retail and distribution: 8%
primary production: 8%

^{Source: Eurostat 2024, data from 2022.}

Inefficiencies along the food supply chain and in consumption have a major impact on the environment, the economy and society.

Main impacts of food waste

A smaller green leaf and a bigger white leaf on grass.

Environment

Food waste causes 16% of total EU food-system greenhouse gas emissions.

A pile of coins partially covered by a euro sign; arrows pointing upwards and downwards on top of the pile.

Economy

Up to €132 billion is lost every year because of food waste.

A plate with a fork and a knife on the sides.

Society

Almost 33 million people in the EU cannot afford a full meal every second day, while tonnes of food goes to waste.

How the EU tackles food waste

The EU and its countries are committed to the United Nations sustainable development goal to halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer level and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.

To accelerate action towards this goal, the EU has introduced specific measures to limit food loss and waste.

The EU waste framework directive sets a priority order for actions aiming to reduce loss and waste. Prevention is the first measure that member countries should enforce. Where prevention is not possible, EU countries should take steps to re-use, recycle or use food for other purposes.

Priority order to reduce loss and waste

1. PREVENT: avoid food loss and food waste in the first place

2. REUSE: reuse for human consumption through redistribution and food banks, or repurpose as animal feed

3. RECYCLE: recover by-products and reuse nutrients for such uses as composting

4. RECOVER: incineration with energy recovery

Reversed pyramid, from the top to the bottom: 1. a hand 2. an applecore with circular arrows around it 3. recycling sign 4. fire

The EU waste framework directive requires member states to:

reduce the amount of food lost during production and distribution
reduce food waste in households
encourage food donation
monitor and assess the implementation of the EU's food waste prevention measures

Other measures aimed at reducing food loss and waste include the repurposing of surplus food products, for example as animal feed or compost.

Food waste reduction targets

In July 2023, the European Commission presented a proposal for the revision of the EU waste framework directive. The revision includes new legally binding targets for food waste reduction for 2030.

In June 2024, the Council agreed on its position for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposed targets.

A provisional agreement between the co-legislators was reached in February 2025. It includes the following targets to cut food waste.