Published on: 2026-09-29
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 29, 2026 Climate and Environment
Every day, about a billion servings of food go uneaten – this is the result of overproduction, spoilage, or poor meal planning. The discarded food, 60 percent of which comes from households, represents a serious problem not only in terms of food security but also for the environment.
Food waste causes more harm than aviation
When organic waste, including food scraps, is deeply buried in landfills under oxygen-free conditions, it interacts with microorganisms, resulting in methane formation – one of the greenhouse gases warming the planet.
“Food waste is estimated to account for 8-10 percent of the global volume of greenhouse gas emissions,” Michael Murata, a representative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said in an interview with the UN News Service. This is almost five times higher than the entire aviation industry’s figures.
In June this year, the UN Secretary-General called on the international community to take action to reduce methane emissions, which involves measures in three sectors: fossil fuels, agriculture, and waste. In the latter, it is necessary to reduce the amount of organic waste, prevent its disposal in landfills, abandon open dumps, and create circular recycling systems.
“Every portion of food that is saved, shared with someone, or simply not allowed to go to waste is an example of more rational food use. Moreover, this helps to avoid methane emissions,” said Martin Krause, director of the Climate Change Division at UNEP.
“Combating food waste could become one of the most accessible and economically effective solutions to the climate problem,” he added. “Every portion saved, redistributed, or simply not thrown away is food used beneficially. And it’s also methane emissions prevented,” the UN notes. “At a time when the world is seeking practical ways to rapidly slow warming, combating food waste could become one of the most immediate and economically effective climate solutions.”
Less waste – less methane
The most effective way to reduce methane emissions in the food waste sector is to prevent their occurrence. This is precisely the goal at the core of the UNEP Food Waste Breakthrough initiative. It aims to halve food waste and reduce methane emissions by 7 percent by 2030.
This concept has already been supported by several countries. Brazil has focused on preventing waste from entering trash bins through two national recycling programs. Meanwhile, in Rio de Janeiro, UNEP is collaborating with city authorities, schools, and food service businesses, including supermarkets, to reduce the volume of discarded products.
In Kenya, as part of a new initiative, food surpluses are collected throughout the entire agricultural production chain and redirected to preschool centers in socially vulnerable areas.
What to do with leftover food?
Food waste emits methane only in the absence of oxygen. If it is properly separated from other trash and composted in conditions where there is air, the decomposition of the products releases carbon dioxide, which poses a much smaller short-term climate risk.
Authorities in 11 African countries, where more than half of municipal waste consists of organic trash, have committed to reducing methane emissions with financial support from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. They are integrating informal waste collectors into the official disposal system by training them in sorting and composting organic waste.
An alternative to composting is the use of black soldier fly larvae for processing organic materials. In some countries around the world, these insects are bred at specialized facilities; at the larval stage, they actively consume food waste. Adult insects quickly die and are used to produce high-protein animal feeds. Waste processing using black soldier fly larvae is already applied in villages and cities in Uganda and Malawi.
Global efforts
In 2019, the UN General Assembly proclaimed September 29 as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Activities on this Day are jointly organized by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Their goal is to draw the global community’s attention to the problem of irrational food usage and to unite efforts to reduce the amount of discarded food.
Under the Global Methane Agreement, more than 60 countries have committed to reducing methane emissions in the waste sector by 30-35 percent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. They have also pledged to tackle the root causes of the problem by preventing waste generation and recycling organic waste into compost or biogas.
“Rapidly scaling up efforts to prevent food waste internationally can ensure a significant reduction in methane emissions within this decade,” Krause emphasized.
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