The generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain

Estonia generates approximately 167,000 tonnes of food waste annually, with food loss (avoidable waste) accounting for 50% of this total. Households are the largest contributors, generating 81,000 tonnes of waste, while the food trade sector has seen a significant increase in unsold food waste. The report highlights that food loss is most prevalent in primary production (82%) and least prevalent in the food industry (10%), with a total estimated annual economic value of €164 million for food loss across the supply chain.

• Estonia generates approximately 167,000 tonnes of food waste annually, which equates to 127kg per capita across the entire food supply chain. Of this total, 50% (about 84,000 tonnes) is classified as food loss or avoidable food waste, with an estimated annual economic value of €164 million.
• Households are the primary source of food waste in Estonia, producing 81,000 tonnes annually (48% of the total). Approximately 42% of household waste is avoidable food loss, and the total monetary value of food thrown away by households is about €98 million per year. This represents a significant increase compared to 2015 data, with food waste and food loss increasing by 13% and 33% respectively.
• In Estonian households, the most common types of food loss are vegetables (32%), cooked food (22%), fruits and berries (18%), and dairy products (13%). The primary reason for disposal is food becoming spoiled (49%), followed by being stored too long (15%) or expiring (11%).
• The food trade sector wastes approximately 20,000 tonnes of unsold food products annually, a significant increase from the 12,000 tonnes recorded in 2015. Fruits and vegetables make up 49% of these unsold products. The primary cause is inadequate sales planning and forecasting leading to products exceeding their shelf life.
• Primary production generates about 24,000 tonnes of food waste annually, with a very high proportion (82%) being food loss. Potato cultivation is the largest contributor, accounting for nearly 60% of waste in this sector.
• The food industry generates approximately 32,000 tonnes of food waste, but it has the lowest share of avoidable food loss at only 10% (3,200 tonnes). Fruit and vegetable processing is the largest contributor to industry waste at 52%.
• The catering sector generates roughly 11,000 tonnes of food waste per year, with 74% being avoidable food loss. Plate leftovers are the leading cause, accounting for approximately 53% of the sector's food waste.

APA

Piirsalu, E., Moora, H., Väli, K., Värnik, R., Aro, K., & Lillemets, J. (2022). The generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/policy-brief-the-generation-of-food-waste-and-food-loss-in-the-estonian-food-supply-chain.pdf

Chicago

Piirsalu, Evelin, Harri Moora, Kadi Väli, Rando Värnik, Kersti Aro, and Jüri Lillemets. The generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/policy-brief-the-generation-of-food-waste-and-food-loss-in-the-estonian-food-supply-chain.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Piirsalu |first1=Evelin |last2=Moora |first2=Harri |last3=Väli |first3=Kadi |last4=Värnik |first4=Rando |last5=Aro |first5=Kersti |last6=Lillemets |first6=Jüri |title=The generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/policy-brief-the-generation-of-food-waste-and-food-loss-in-the-estonian-food-supply-chain.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{piirsalu2022generation, author = {Piirsalu, Evelin and Moora, Harri and Väli, Kadi and Värnik, Rando and Aro, Kersti and Lillemets, Jüri}, title = {{The generation of food waste and food loss in the Estonian food supply chain}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/policy-brief-the-generation-of-food-waste-and-food-loss-in-the-estonian-food-supply-chain.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }