DRIVEN TO WASTE: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ON FARMS

The report finds that 15.3% of global agricultural production, approximately 1.2 billion tonnes, is lost at the farm stage, with an estimated economic value of $370 billion. It challenges the assumption that losses are primarily a low-income country issue, noting that higher- and middle-income countries are responsible for 58% of global harvest losses. Environmental impacts are significant, including 2.2 gigatonnes of CO2 eq. emissions, 760 km3 of freshwater withdrawals, and 4.4 million km2 of land use, with meat and animal products having a disproportionately high impact. The report identifies a complex web of direct drivers (biological, agronomic, and technological) and indirect drivers (market structure, governance, and human factors) and argues for synchronized, holistic interventions rather than isolated technical fixes.

• Global farm stage food losses are estimated at 1.2 billion tonnes per year, which represents 15.3% of total global food production. This is split between 8.3% lost at or around harvest and 7.0% during farm stage post-harvest activities.
• The report challenges the assumption that farm stage losses are primarily a problem for low-income countries. Higher- and middle-income countries, representing 37% of the global population, account for 58% of global harvest losses, while low-income countries account for 54% of post-harvest farm stage losses.
• The total economic value of global food losses at the farm gate is estimated at $370 billion per annum, excluding fisheries.
• Farm stage food losses result in an annual carbon footprint of 2.2 gigatonnes CO2 eq., which is approximately 16% of total global emissions from agricultural production.
• Meat and animal products (including dairy) have a disproportionately high environmental impact; they account for 40% of CO2 eq. emissions and over 40% of acidification and eutrophication potentials, despite representing only 13% of total food loss tonnage.
• The land area required to produce food lost at the farm stage is estimated at 4.4 million km2, an area larger than the Indian sub-continent. Over half of this land use is associated with meat and animal products.
• Freshwater withdrawals associated with global farm stage food losses are estimated at 760 km3. Cereals and pulses have the highest global water footprint, with specific hotspots in rice production in South and Southeast Asia and wheat production in North America and Asia.
• Food loss drivers are categorized into direct factors (biological and environmental; agronomy, animal husbandry, and fishing practices; and technology and infrastructure) and indirect factors (market structure, governance, and investment; and human factors).
• The report argues that the traditional distinction between 'food loss' (unintended) and 'food waste' (conscious decision) is misleading and does not help in identifying drivers or solutions.
• Effective mitigation of farm stage food losses requires synchronized, holistic interventions rather than isolated technical fixes, combining technological improvements with training, better market connections, and fair pricing for farmers.

APA

Parfitt, J., Brockhaus, A., Croker, T., McCloskey, C., & Jenkin, N. (2021). DRIVEN TO WASTE: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ON FARMS. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1112/5p58sxloyr_technical_report_wwf_farm_stage_food_loss_and_waste.pdf

Chicago

Parfitt, Julian, Anna Brockhaus, Tim Croker, Chloe McCloskey, and Nicola Jenkin. DRIVEN TO WASTE: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ON FARMS. WWF International, 2021. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1112/5p58sxloyr_technical_report_wwf_farm_stage_food_loss_and_waste.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parfitt |first1=Julian |last2=Brockhaus |first2=Anna |last3=Croker |first3=Tim |last4=McCloskey |first4=Chloe |last5=Jenkin |first5=Nicola |title=DRIVEN TO WASTE: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ON FARMS |publisher=WWF International |date=2021 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1112/5p58sxloyr_technical_report_wwf_farm_stage_food_loss_and_waste.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parfitt2021driven, author = {Parfitt, Julian and Brockhaus, Anna and Croker, Tim and McCloskey, Chloe and Jenkin, Nicola}, title = {{DRIVEN TO WASTE: THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF FOOD LOSS AND WASTE ON FARMS}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1112/5p58sxloyr_technical_report_wwf_farm_stage_food_loss_and_waste.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }