CIAO DATE: 01/2013
August 2012
Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies
The wastage of food is one of the most salient yet underrecognised global issues in the effort to combat food insecurity. The implications of the estimated 30–50 per cent global food wastage for energy, soil, water and human resources are substantial. Just how signifi cant is not clear: relatively little data is available on the intricacies of food wastage and its impact on the world’s food systems. Southeast Asia as a region suffers from a lack of information on food wastage along supply chains in key food commodities. In order to address wastage issues, developing accurate and relevant information on the scope and causes of food wastage is essential. Estimates suggest that up to 10 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to lost and wasted food. Beyond the environmental implications, food wastage has ramifications for food availability. Food prices and availability in some countries may be affected by the wastage of food traded on international markets. At the local level, losses on small farms impact the farmers and villagers who consume the food produced by those farms.
Resource link: Expert Working Group Meeting on Food Wastage in Southeast Asia [PDF]