The meteoric rise of food waste : a modern phenomenon?

Abstract

Abundance, noticeable in the endless choices available in supermarkets or hotel buffets, where the only limit is your stomach, has become an expectation. However, abundance, coupled with our demands for fresher, crispier, and perfectly shaped food, has brought about a wastefulness never experienced before. According to Eurostat, the global average food waste per capita has increased from 177kg in 1961 to around 240kg in 2011, depending on the region. Hall et al. note that American per-capita food waste grew by about 50% between 1973 and 2003, while the United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that, in 2019, food waste reached 931 million tonnes. 569 million tonnes of this waste originated from households (61%), while 244 million tonnes is attributed to food service and the remaining 118 million tonnes originated from the retail sector.