Excess, storage issues behind food waste in GCC

Dubai, UAE–Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 percent of total global food production is wasted–11 percent in households, 5 percent in the food service and 2 percent in retail, according to the United Nations. Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food – including water, land, energy, labor and capital – go to waste, the UN says. Underscoring the need for reducing food waste and loss, the UN says the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. TRENDS takes a look at the state of food waste in the GCC countries.