The world wastes 1.3 billion tons of food every year

Every year the world is wasting 1.3 billion tons of food, equivalent to one-third of global food production, the report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

In developed and developing countries, the amount of lost food corresponds to 670 and 630 million tons, estimated losses in turn equal to 680 billion and 310 billion USD.

Australians waste more than 4 million tons of food each year, averaging nearly 1 ton per household. The United States produces 180 million tons of food annually and about 50 million tons, meaning that nearly a third must leave.

One-third of world food production is wasted. (Photo: UNEP)

British households waste about 6.7 million tons of food each year. This means that about 32% of the total food purchased each year is not used.

Meanwhile, the FAO report also said that the world is struggling to provide enough food for 7 billion people and is expected to increase to 9 billion in 2050. Currently, every 7 people have 1 hungry people and more than 20,000 children under 5 years of age die from hunger every day.

Wasting food is therefore a waste of natural resources and causes bad environmental impacts. Moreover, this waste is also a moral issue.

Because of these reasons, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) decided to choose the theme 'Think about the environment before consuming food' (Think.Eat.Save) as the theme for the Environment Day. This year's world aims to encourage people around the world to pay more attention to the environmental impacts of food selection, avoid waste and choose foods that have less impact on the environment. This topic will also be a global campaign to combat food waste worldwide.

Theme logo of World Environment Day 2013. (Photo: UNEP)

'To aim for a sustainable future, we need to change the mode of production and consumption of natural resources. In it, we urge people all over the world to work together to raise awareness and practical action at home, on the farm, in supermarkets, in canteens, in hotels or anywhere. Every food is consumed daily in life , 'said Achim Steiner, UN Secretary-General and CEO UNEP.

International activities responding to the World Environment Day 2013 will be held in Mongolia, a country in the process of transitioning to a green economy.

Many activities in Vietnam responded to the Environment Day

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the People's Committee of Thua Thien - Hue Province will organize various activities to respond to the World Environment Day 2013 from the day. June 4-5, 2013.

The main activities will be organized including: Conference to sum up the construction and replication of the model of residential areas to protect the environment, exchange experiences to build a green tourism environment associated with environmental protection and development. photo galleries, environmental contests, .

The national rally to meet the World Environment Day will be held at Nghinh Luong Dinh on the bank of Huong River, Hue City on the morning of June 5. Here, Vietnam Environment Award Ceremony will also take place in 2013. Information from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also said that until now, the evaluation for individual organizations has been completed.