Last week, at the SCI Seligman lecture, Ian Noble explained the current situation of global food wastage and explored ways for food engineers to meet the challenges created. There will be a full review of that lecture soon but, for now, here are some facts to consider.
Annual global food waste: 1.3billion tonnes
Global hunger: 870 million people
It’s not just the food wastage we need to consider, however – it’s also everything that goes into producing that wasted food.
Water wasted: 550 billion metres3
Land wasted: 1.4 billion hectares
Financial cost: $750 billion
Energy input: 3-35kcals per 1kcal of wasted food
The greenhouse gases emitted in that production also need to be considered.
Greenhouse gas emissions: 3.3 billion tonnes
*Data from Food Wastage Foodprint, 2013 and IMechE Global Food: waste not, want not.
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