A sustainable food system is not a global phenomenon, the ratio of Hungry Nations topples that of well-fed countries, just a handful of countries have the adequate resources needed to manage food production and storage. A major reason why one-third of World food goes to waste annually while starvation ravages on in several parts of the world, some could preserve their food production while many couldn't even provide enough food due to poor Governance, corruption and lagging in technology.
Famine as an outbreak could also be categorized as one of the worse Natural disasters alongside drought as well as an outbreak of diseases(corona pandemi), unfortunately, despite the amount of food produced; wastage is another monumental problem complementing World Famine and starvation rate. With a staggering 1.6 Billion tons of food perishing, which is approximately $1.2 Trillion in value is lost to food wastes and loss.
The amount of food valued above is equivalent to one-third of the total amount of food that is produced annually worldwide. By physical comparison, this is equal in size to Manhattan in the US and by estimation, economy and financial experts says the total food loss/waste yearly could hit 2.1 Billion tons by 2030 and that is approximately $1.5Trillion in value. - BCG
Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global management consulting firm with over 80 offices all around the World, in their analysis, BCG statistics agrees with The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Resources Institute, which stated that this food wastes results in more reported cases of global hunger problem which is accountable for over 870million people around the World going hungry and under-nourished. This food waste/loss also accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.
To cut food losses and wastes rates, the key factors responsible need to be figured out first and then analyzed. After analysis these causes, there are five major causes that has been identified resulting in these losses and once these five factors are addressed, this could drop the huge amount in loss valued close to $700 Billion in food waste and loss.
However, wastage and food loss takes place at the beginning and end of food production (value chain), although it is more prominent at the production stage where harvesting, transportation, and storage is the main reason for huge losses and damages. A little loss also occurs during consumption which is the final phase, this is where leftovers and excess food fits in which can not be recycled.
Many developing nations are the major Victims, overpopulation and poor economical infrastructures put them in a critical condition hence they face bigger food loss and wastages due to poor production, transportation(distribution) and storage which results in undernourishment, malnutrition, and Famine.
Developed countries, on the other hand, faces a different problem in food waste and this is in the food consumption phase. This is where the most damage is done and it occurs mainly between retailers and consumers, unlike third world countries often plagued with storage and preservation problems.
Could this be a huge misuse of resources? Because food production is the first resources for survival right before early civilization, food is one of the most viable resource to survive in any living organism, but the rate of loss and wastage is now an emerging issue of concern globally that is so critical prompting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to be laden with the task of cutting down these wastage and losses into half by the year 2030.