As the world stands on the verge of a massive food crisis and the poor grapple for even staple food, a new report co-authored by UN has come out with figures stating the amount of food being wasted and set reduction targets to improve the situation.
In the US, for instance, as much as 30 per cent of food, worth $48.3 billion approximately, is thrown away each year, the report prepared by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Water Management Institute estimates.
And while it elaborates on the food wastage, the report goes on to stress that wasted food implies wasted water, another major concern.
That implies, if US wastes thirty per cent of food, it's like leaving a 'tap running and pouring 40 trillion litres of water into the garbage can - enough water to meet the household needs of 500 million people', the report says.
Highlighting major areas wastage apart from kitchens, the report says, huge quantities of food is discarded in processing, transport, supermarkets and this wasted food is also wasted water.
"As much as half of the water used to grow food globally may be lost or wasted," says Dr David Molden, Director of Research at IWMI.
More than enough food, the report says, is produced to feed a healthy global population. But distribution and access to food is a problem and many go hungry, while at the same time many over-eat.
The report points to an "often overlooked problem: we are providing food to take care of not only our necessary consumption but also our wasteful habits."
Connecting the food wastage with lost water, the report says, that water loss accumulates as food is wasted before and after it reaches the consumer. In poorer countries, a majority of uneaten food is lost before it has a chance to be consumed.
Depending on the crop, an estimated 15 to 35 per cent of food may be lost in the field, it says adding, another 10 to 15 per cent is discarded during processing, transport and storage.
In richer countries, production is more efficient but waste is greater: people toss the food they buy and all the resources used to grow, ship, and produce the food along with it, the report notes.
The report stresses that the magnitude of current food losses presents both challenges and opportunities and has called upon countries to cut food wastage by half by 2025.
"Improving water productivity and reducing the quantity of food that is wasted can enable us to provide a better diet for the poor and enough food for growing populations," says Prof Jan Lundqvist of SIWI.
"Reaching the target we propose, a 50 per cent reduction of losses and wastage in the production and consumption chain, is a necessary and achievable goal", the report adds.
Through international trade, savings in one country could benefit communities in other parts of the world, it adds.
"Curbing these losses and improving water productivity provides win-win opportunities for farmers, business, ecosystems, and the global hungry. An effective water-saving strategy will first require that minimizing food wastage is placed firmly on the political agenda", the report adds on.
Food production is constrained by the availability of water and land resources, the report says, adding that an estimated 1.2 billion people already live in areas where there is not enough water to meet demand.
