By Maxwell Awumah, GNA
Hohoe, Oct 02, GNA – Food waste could rise to
more than two billion tonnes worth $1.5 trillion by 2030 researchers said on
Tuesday.
They warned of a “staggering” crisis
propelled by a booming world population and changing habits in developing
nations.
The United Nations has set a target of halving
food loss and waste by 2030. But the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study copied
to the Ghana News Agency, found that if current trends continued, it would rise
to 2.1 billion tonnes annually – an amount worth $1.5 trillion.
Dr Esben Hegnsholt, lead author said, “We
are seeing a real crisis at a global level.”
“The amounts of waste and the social,
economic and environmental implications are serious if we don’t change the
trajectory. When we fight food loss and waste, we also fight hunger, poverty
and global warming.”
It said around a third of the world’s food is
lost or thrown away each year. Currently, we waste 1.6 billion tons of food
annually, worth about $1.2 trillion dollars.
Household waste will increase in developing
countries as consumers gain more disposable income, said the report, which
identified five key changes which it said could save nearly $700 billion in
lost food.
They included more awareness among consumers,
stronger regulations and better supply chain efficiency and collaboration along
the food production chain.
Liz Goodwin, Director of the Food Loss and
Waste Programme at the World Resources Institute, said the report raised
serious issues but oversimplified some of the solutions.
“It’s connected with the way our lives
have changed and the fact that food is now so much cheaper,” she said,
also citing a growing demand for convenience and a lack of cooking skills among
younger generations.
Ms Goodwin said she believed measures to cut
wastage were having an effect, and the world would at least be on the way to
meeting the 50 percent reduction target by 2030.
Consumers, businesses and regulators would all
have to play a role in driving change, she said.
“We need a shift in our attitudes to food
waste – I think we need to get to the point where it just isn’t acceptable to
throw food in the bin,” she said.
GNA