Australians throw away $8 billion worth of edible food each year and are among the biggest food wasters in the world.
The latest ANZ Food For Thought report found Australia generated approximately 7.3 million tonnes of food waste each year, with 3.1 million tonnes still edible.
ANZ Head of Institutional Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Gerry Karam said Australia continued to have a significant food waste problem, which affected every stage of the food supply chain, from production and processing to retail and consumption.
“The issue has far-reaching environmental, economic, and social implications, demanding urgent action and innovative solutions,” Mr Karam said.
The report showed there was 102kg of food wasted per person in Australia each year, far exceeding many other countries such as India (50kg), the United States (59kg), China (64kg), the United Kingdom (77kg) and France (85kg).
Mr Karam said there were issues across the supply chain.
He said at a farm level, various factors such as overproduction, market fluctuations, harvesting challenges and stringent quality standards lead to substantial losses.
“It is estimated that over 20 percent of vegetables produced in Australia – equivalent to around one million tonnes annually – never make it to market.”
Mr Karam said in Australian households food waste was a pervasive issue due to causes including over-purchasing, improper storage, and confusion over expiration dates.
“For example, Australians throw away nearly 1.3 billion slices of bread each year, which if stacked up, would create a tower over 1000 kilometres high.
“Australians waste an average of 102 kilograms of food per person each year, placing the country among the highest food wasters globally,” he said.
Mr Karam said food waste had a wide range of impacts, including environmentally, such as from landfill methane production, economically, through the cost of wasted food, and socially, when dealing with Australia’s own food insecurity issues.
“Despite the challenges, there are a range of opportunities to reduce food waste, such as organisations who redistribute surplus food to charities, or through innovations in turning food waste into edible ingredients or renewable energy.”
“Reducing food waste is not just an environmental imperative; it is also an economic opportunity that can drive positive change across the entire food supply chain.”
