Addressing Morocco's Mounting Food Waste Crisis
In a sobering revelation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the non-governmental organization WRAP have unveiled alarming insights into the state of food waste in Morocco. According to their 2024 Food Waste Index report, Moroccan households are squandering a staggering 4.2 million tons of food annually, marking a concerning increase of one million tons since the last report in 2021.
The figures are staggering: the average Moroccan now wastes a remarkable 113 kilograms of food each year, up from 91 kilograms in 2021. This colossal waste presents a stark contrast to the worsening humanitarian crisis and food shortages affecting parts of the globe, where a staggering 783 million people face the threat of hunger, and a third of humanity grapples with severe food insecurity.
Morocco's situation is not unique; the report paints a grim picture across the African continent. Algeria recorded a staggering 5 million tons of food waste, while Tunisia stood at 2.1 million tons, Egypt at a shocking 18 million tons, Mauritania at over 422,000 tons, and Libya at nearly 573,000 tons.
Globally, the report's findings are alarming: households worldwide wasted over one billion meals daily in 2022. This massive waste not only worsens global hunger but also significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and imposes a staggering trillion-dollar cost on the global economy.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, aptly termed food waste a "global tragedy," emphasizing that millions may go hungry due to this issue. She underscored the urgency of prioritizing this problem, stressing that countries must act swiftly to reverse food loss and waste, mitigate its environmental and economic impacts, and move closer to achieving global goals in this area.
Despite the grim reality, the report offers a glimmer of hope, revealing that food waste is lower in rural regions globally, and only 21 countries have strategies to eliminate this issue in their national climate policies. This trend can be attributed to the growing practice of repurposing food leftovers as livestock or pet feed, or as household fertilizers.
As the world grapples with the mounting challenges of food insecurity and environmental degradation, the UNEP's report serves as a clarion call for urgent action. Addressing food waste must become a top priority for nations worldwide, not only to alleviate hunger and poverty but also to safeguard the planet's fragile ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.