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EU households wasted 70 kgs of food per person in 2020 - Eurostat

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In 2020, 70 kg (154 lbs) of food was wasted by households in the European Union. This figure is more than half of the food waste in the 27 member countries, according to the statistics office of the bloc.

Eurostat data revealed that total food waste in the bloc was 127 kilograms per person in the same year. This is according to its first EU-wide report. At the start of 2020, it was home to 447.7 millions people.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO), global food waste contributes between 8% and 10% to total greenhouse gas emissions. It is still a problem in the EU and across the globe.

Eurostat stated that 55% of all food waste generated by the EU in the first year following the COVID-19 pandemic was attributable to households. The remaining 45% was generated at other stages in the food supply chain.

Food and drink manufacturing accounted for 23 and 14 kilograms respectively. Primary production accounted for 14 kgs. These are sectors in which there are strategies to reduce spoilage such as the use discarded parts as byproducts.

In 2020, 12 kg of food was wasted per person by restaurants and food service, which is 9% of the total. Retail and other food distribution were the least wasteful.

Eurostat stated that the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns in these two sectors were still being analysed.

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