Jester_Thomas_ t1_jagtsys wrote on March 1, 2023 at 9:36 AM

Did you make this graphic? I'd be interested to see some of the assumptions you've made to get at those statements. Does your claim that the 'developing / developed nations' waste the same account for the fact that much of the food wasted in the global South occurs due to a lack of infrastructure rather than poor purchase planning (I would argue that is food lost rather than wasted).

giteam OP t1_jagus1e wrote on March 1, 2023 at 9:50 AM

Just posted a comment regarding the data, which comes from the UNEP Food Waste Index Report, we simply visualised it in a map.

With regards to infrastructure, the report does mention that the authors encountered a lot more hostility and resistance when attempting to conduct waste audits of food service and retail companies. Considering that food waste is a commercially sensitive topic (and these companies looooove money) it makes sense that they don't want to give accurate numbers. Your suggestion is plausible but we probably won't know for sure unless these food service companies give us accurate numbers.

Plus, the report also suggests that there is such a wide scope for the definition of "food service establishments" - imagine the difference in wastage between sports stadia (beers being thrown after a goal is scored) and a hot dog stand down the road!