Driven to Waste

The report 'Driven to Waste' estimates that 1.2 billion tonnes of food, or 15.3% of global production, is lost on farms. When combined with retail and consumer waste, total global food loss and waste is estimated at over 2.5 billion tonnes (approximately 40% of all food produced), contributing 10% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The document highlights a geographic disparity: high- and middle-income countries in Europe, North America, and Industrialised Asia contribute 58% of global harvest loss, while low-income countries account for 54% of post-harvest farm-stage loss. It argues that farm-stage loss is driven by downstream market decisions and asymmetric power balances, and calls for national governments to include food loss and waste in Paris Agreement national carbon plans.

• Approximately 1.2 billion tonnes of food is lost during and around harvest, representing 15.3% of all food produced globally.
• Total global food loss and waste is estimated to be over 2.5 billion tonnes, which is nearly 40% of all food produced, a higher figure than the commonly cited 33%.
• The contribution of food waste to total global greenhouse gas emissions has increased from previous estimates of 8% to 10%.
• There is a distinct geographic split in the type of farm loss: high- and middle-income regions (Europe, North America, and Industrialised Asia) produce 58% of global harvest loss, whereas low-income countries account for 54% of post-harvest farm-stage loss.
• Farm-stage food loss is a major driver of agricultural emissions, accounting for 16% of the total.

APA

WWF International (2021). Driven to Waste. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/517/4jqn8wgjtl_driven_to_waste_summary.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Driven to Waste. 2021. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/517/4jqn8wgjtl_driven_to_waste_summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Driven to Waste |date=July 2021 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/517/4jqn8wgjtl_driven_to_waste_summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021driven, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Driven to Waste}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/517/4jqn8wgjtl_driven_to_waste_summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }