UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013 - The Global Environmental Impact of Food Waste
As of 2013, the world is producing enough food to feed its entire population, yet nearly one billion people are still hungry and two billion are malnourished, lacking essential micro-nutrients (FAO, 2012). This session will explore these profound imbalances caused by the loss or waste of a third of global food production, due to both inefficient supply chains and by consumers - in households, markets, restaurants and hotels.
In addition to the human cost, the session will discuss the impact of food waste on the environment, which leaves a large carbon footprint and squanders natural resources that are already at serious risk of degradation and depletion. Apart from significantly improving the overall availability of safe and nutritious food for human consumption, the session will demonstrate that reducing food waste can have a substantial positive impact on the environment.
