In a stark revelation, Chef Laila Fathalla, a United Nations Environment Program advocate for reducing food waste, has brought attention to the staggering global issue, disclosing that approximately 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted annually worldwide.
Saudi Arabia, according to the United Nations Food Waste Program, is at the forefront of this crisis, contributing up to 50% of the total waste.
Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al Fadhli, Saudi minister of environment, water, and agriculture, confirmed these alarming statistics, acknowledging that the economic toll of food waste in the Kingdom reaches 40 billion Saudi riyals (SR) annually.
The rate of food wastage surpasses 33%, necessitating urgent and collaborative efforts to address this critical issue.
A comprehensive study conducted by the Saudi Grains Organization (Sago) last year shed light on the financial impact of food wastage in the Kingdom, revealing an annual cost of SR40.4 billion based on consumer spending.
The study unveiled that a staggering 4.06 million tons of food, equivalent to 33.1% of targeted commodities, are wasted each year, with an average individual contributing approximately 184 kilos of food waste.
The research, covering all regions of Saudi Arabia, highlighted specific food categories prone to waste.
Vegetable waste alone exceeds 335,000 tons annually, including substantial quantities of zucchini, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes.
Notably, staple foods such as flour, bread, rice, and meat register significant losses, with annual wastage ranging from hundreds of thousands of tons.
Saudi Arabia, with a population of around 32.2 million people, faces the challenge of curbing food waste, particularly considering its large community of expatriate workers.
The 2021 Food Sustainability Index (FSI), conducted by Economist Impact with the Barilla Foundation's support, revealed that countries such as Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands perform well in managing food loss and waste.