How many of us realize that the food we eat every day, or waste, is not available to many people?
Across the world, people from various countries suffer from hunger due to lack of food, and many even die.
World Food Day
World Food Day is celebrated every year on Oct. 16 around the world to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.
This day is observed to ensure that everyone in the world has access to nutritious food and to create a hunger-free environment.
The theme of World Food Day 2026 - is to use technology and artificial intelligence to make safe, nutritious, and affordable food available to everyone.
According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, around 645 million (64.5 crore) people, or 7.8%, were affected by hunger last year. It is noteworthy that this figure was 8.6% in 2022 and 8.1% in 2024. Compared with the COVID period, the current hunger index rate has declined.
Food waste
The organization has also expressed concern about food being wasted at multiple stages, from farm to table.
According to FAO data, about 13 percent of the food produced globally is wasted after harvest, that is, before it reaches stores. It is also said that food is wasted during storage, transportation, and processing, with fruits and vegetables being wasted in the largest quantities.
FAO says the value of food wasted before it reaches stores is more than 400 billion US dollars a year (approximately Rs. 22 lakh crore).
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), about one-fifth of all food, or around 1.05 billion tonnes (105 crore tonnes) in 2022 alone, was wasted.
Of this food waste, 60 percent comes from households, 28 percent from restaurants and other food service establishments, and 12 percent from shops.
132 kg per person
This means that, on average, one person worldwide wastes 132 kg of food in a year. An additional detail is that 79 kg of this food is wasted from households.
Among countries around the world, the Maldives wastes the most food (260 kg per year), according to the UN.
Syria, the Dominican Republic, Seychelles, Mexico, and Tunisia are in the following positions. Each of these countries wastes more than 210 kilograms of food per person.
Spain wastes the least, at only 39 kilograms of food.
The value of food wasted in a year averages one trillion dollars (Rs. 94.54 lakh crore)
The country most affected by hunger
Globally, Africa is where people are most affected by hunger and starvation. Data shows that 309 million people were affected in 2025. Somalia ranks first in this. Seven of the eight countries most affected by hunger are in Africa. These include Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen.
It is noteworthy that India ranks 102nd out of 123 countries in the Global Hunger Index.
In Asia, 292 million people (6% of the population) are affected, while in Latin America and Caribbean countries, 32 million people (4.8%) are affected by lack of access to food.
Wasting food has an impact on the environment. Globally, about 8–10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by food waste. This includes methane gas released when food decomposes in landfills.
The UN emphasizes that food should be avoided from being wasted as much as possible.
It is advised to buy and cook only the required amount of food items, and to properly store any extra food items or meals and eat them without wasting them.