Throwing away our future: Why preventing wasted food is a powerful, and neglected, climate solution

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Throwing away our future: Why preventing wasted food is a powerful, and neglected, climate solution

Date posted: 17 February 2026

 

Wasted food is one of the great conundrums of the global food system. At a time when rising living costs dominate public debate, we continue to discard roughly a third of the food we produce, post-harvest. The climate consequences are significant: wasted food is responsible for an estimated 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions1. And yet, despite being widely recognised as a 'low-hanging fruit' of climate action, tackling wasted food remains chronically under-prioritised. 

This disconnect was the focus of a recent talk at the Oxford Martin School for the Future of Food, which explored why wasted food matters so much - financially, socially, and environmentally - what works2, and what progress is being made around the world. This post attempts to summarise the lecture and the vibrant Q&A session which followed.

A missed opportunity in climate and food system transformation

Unlike some climate challenges, reducing wasted food does not depend on untested technologies or long-time horizons. We already know a great deal about what works. Evidence3,4,5 from cities and countries across the world shows that well-designed policies, business action, and citizen engagement can significantly reduce waste6, unlock cost savings, and cut emissions.

And yet, global action has not kept pace with international ambition. UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 commits countries to halving food waste and reducing food loss by 2030. With that deadline rapidly approaching, the world is off track to deliver this target7. Indeed, only around 30 countries currently include food loss and waste (FLW) reduction in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement8 - a striking omission given the scale of the climate benefits and the understanding of what works. 

Why isn't more happening?

One reason is investment. Despite strong economic and environmental returns, preventing wasted food remains underfunded. This is surprising when compared with other mitigation options that attract far greater capital. There is significant scope to expand the financial toolkit - for example, through carbon credits linked to verified food waste reduction or surplus food redistribution. Encouragingly, organisations such as Verra, WRAP, and the Global FoodBanking Network9 are already laying the groundwork for credible methodologies in this space.

Another constraint is lack of measurement, meaning many organisations don't know the scale of the opportunity for savings through reducing wasted food. In practice, experience shows that once organisations being measuring, they act. Measurement does not just reveal the scale of the problem; it helps diagnose its causes and points to solutions.

Wasted food and food security

A common and legitimate question is how reducing wasted food improves food security. The relationship is often indirect but real. Reducing post-harvest losses means farmers may sell a higher proportion of what they grow, which can improve incomes and build resilience. More efficient supply chains can lower costs and stabilise availability. At the same time, research increasingly shows that a significant share of food-insecure people live in urban areas where access, not production, is the primary constraint10. In these contexts, reducing waste and redistributing surplus food can improve availability while also cutting emissions.

Technology and encouraging behaviour change

When asked which technologies should be prioritised, the answer may seem surprisingly modest: start with measurement. Simple, affordable tools that allow businesses and institutions to understand where and why waste occurs often deliver outsized impacts. High-tech solutions have a role but are based upon effective measurement. 

International evidence shows that large reductions in wasted food are possible - through a combination of policy signals, collective action, and practical support to businesses and people. The real challenge is not whether change is possible at the scale needed, but how to accelerate it at the pace the climate crisis demands.

A rare opportunity for collective action

In an increasingly polarised world, reducing wasted food stands out as an unusually unifying agenda. It saves money, cuts emissions, and makes better use of the resources we already produce. It requires us only to value food more and waste it less.

The call to action is therefore clear:

  • Governments should embed wasted food reduction in climate strategies, including NDCs, and develop policies that create the environment for rapid change.
  • Businesses should prioritise measurement and prevention by working collaboratively across supply chains.
  • Cities and civil society should scale citizen behaviour change campaigns and surplus food redistribution to prevent wasted food.
  • Researchers and funders should continue to strengthen the evidence base and invest in scaling practical solutions.

Minimising wasted food should not be treated as an optional add-on to food system reform. It should be a core operating principle of how the global food system functions. The benefits, for the climate, for food security, and food future generations, are simply too large to ignore. 

 

This post was written by Dr Richard Swannell. 

Dr Richard Swannell FRSA is an internationally recognised expert on resource efficiency, with particular expertise in food loss and waste and its role in addressing climate change. An environmental scientist by training, Richard has spent over two decades translating evidence into practical action across food systems, packaging, plastics pollution, recycling, and wider sustainability challenges. 

Richard began his career in the UK scientific civil service and at AEA Technology plc before joining WRAP in 2004. During his 21 years at WRAP, he led major programmes that have become international exemplars of effective food system intervention. He headed the team that created and delivered the pioneering Courtauld Commitment - the first voluntary agreement of its kind between a government-backed body and UK supermarkets - driving ambitious reductions in packaging and food waste across the supply chain. He also helped develop and lead the influential Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which reshaped public engagement with food waste.

Together, these initiatives have helped reduce food loss and waste across the UK supply chain by over one million tonnes per year. Richard has since advised governments and international organisations including the FAO, World Bank, UNEP, the European Commission, and the governments of Australia, South Africa, and Mexico. He was an active member of the EU Food Loss and Waste Platform from 2016 to 2025 and has contributed to key global publications, including the Food Loss and Waste Protocol, multiple Champions 12.3 repots, and the World Bank's work on the economic and climate case for tackling food loss and waste.

Richard is now Principal Partner at the environmental consultancy Intent to Impact LLP, supporting governments and businesses to accelerate the transition to more resource-efficient and climate-aligned food systems. 

References

1. UNFCC (2024) Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions cost $1 trillion annually. UNFCC News. 30 September 2024. Available online:  Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions; cost USD 1 trillion annually | UNFCCC

2. Liechti, C., Mack, G., and Ammann, J. (2024) A systematic literature review of impactful food waste interventions at the consumer level. Sustainable Production and Consumption 52(2024), pp. 552-565. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.11.023

3. WRAP (2025) UK food waste and food surplus - key facts. WRAP report: The Waste and Resources Action Programme. Available online: UK Food Waste & Food Surplus – Key Facts | WRAP - The Waste and Resources Action Programme

4. van Lieshout, L., and Knuppe, J. (2022). Summary report: Household food waste by Dutch consumers in 2022. Available online: Summary_Rapport Voedselverspilling 2022_EN_def1.pdf

5. Government of Japan. (2025) Towards reducing food loss and waste in Japan. Food Loss and Waste Reduction Promotion Office. Available online: Towards reducing Food Loss and Waste in Japan

6. Candeal, T., Bruggemann, N., Bruns, H. et al. (2023) Tools, best practices and recommendations to reduce consumer food waste - A compendium. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2760/967005

7. Lipinski, B. (2025). Champions Report: SDG target 12.3 on food loss and waste: 2025 progress report. Available online: champions-12-3-2025-progress-report.pdf

8. WRAP. (2025) Just 30 countries include food loss and/or waste in their NDCs. WRAP News (11 November 2025). Available online: Just 30 countries include food loss and/or waste in their NDCs | WRAP - The Waste and Resources Action Programme

9. The Global FoodBanking Network (2025). Climate financing for food banking: New research explores opportunities to scale food recovery. The Global FoodBanking Network press release (18 March 2025). Available online: Climate Financing For Food Banks | The Global FoodBanking Network

10. HLPE. (2024) Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition, in the context of urbanisation and rural transformation. Rome, CFS HLPE-FSN. Available online: Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition, in the context of urbanization and rural transformation

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