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Food waste on farms 

Globally, 1.2billion tonnes, or 15% of food produced, is wasted before it makes it off the farm. This places huge strain on the planets natural resources and causes environmental harm.

Tomato's in skip

Why does it matter?

Producing food uses a huge amount of land, water and energy, so when food is wasted so too are the environmental resources used to produce it. Additionally, the disposal of food waste significantly impacts climate change. In 2021, WWF’s report, Driven To Waste, indicated that approximately 10 per cent of all GHG emissions stem from food waste. And, as agricultural resource-use expands around the world, 4.4 million km2 of agricultural land and 760km3 of water are used to produce the 1.2 billion tonnes of food that are lost before, during and after harvest or diverted to other uses such as animal feed and biofuel. This equates to a landmass larger than the Indian subcontinent and water volume equivalent to 304 million Olympic swimming pools - and this doesn’t even include the additional resources used to produce food that are wasted further down the supply chain. 

Conservation work on farms

What can we do?

At WWF we are working with UK retailers to increase the amount of support given to farmers to help measure, report and reduce food waste on farms. This all starts with improving awareness of farm stage food waste and increasing the number of farmers measuring and reporting. We also need to see greater commitment from the UK government to tackle this issue, increasing support available to farmers and integrating food waste into sustainable agricultural agendas.  

Resources 

Corn waste

Hidden Waste

The scale and impact of food waste

in UK primary production

In the UK, total food waste is reported as 9.5 million tonnes; however, this figure excludes waste occurring on farms, masking the true extent of food waste in the UK and its harmful impact on the environment. WWF’s Hidden Waste report estimates the extent to which food waste in UK primary production changes this picture and highlights the significant impact this hidden issue could play in decarbonising our food system and improving food security.

Apple Orchard

Hidden Waste

The roadmap to tracking and reducing food surplus

and waste on UK farms

The Hidden Waste Roadmap provides guidance for food system actors to support farmers in measuring, reporting and reducing food waste on farms. This complements the objectives targeted in Courtauld 2030, the IGD-WRAP Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, and the Champions 12.3 10x20x30 initiative.