Food waste in Kingdom could feed 1.5 million people – agriculture minister

AMMAN — The annual per capita food waste in Jordan is 101 kilogrammes,  approximately 1.136 million tonnes of food squandered each year, Minister of Agriculture and Chairman of the Food Security Council Khaled Huneifat said on Sunday, citing UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024.

In a press conference to commemorate the International Day of Zero Waste, Huneifat pointed out that the wasted food could have sufficed the nutritional requirements of nearly 1.5 million individuals for a year, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Huneifat also emphasised the Kingdom’s proactive measures to tackle food waste, primarily through the “No to Food Waste” national initiative. Launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in November 2022, the initiative encompasses a range of programmes and interventions, with a national awareness campaign to reduce food waste at its core.

Huneifat also said that despite the global surplus in food production, around 800 million people worldwide continue to grapple with hunger, underscoring the pressing need to address this paradox.

The minister also highlighted the joint efforts of the Food Security Council and the World Food Programme to implement the measures outlined in the 2021-2030 National Food Security Strategy and its 2022-2024 Action Plan, which aim to promote innovative approaches to minimise food waste and raise about detrimental practices and promote positive behaviours.

In a country like Jordan, where water scarcity is a critical issue, food loss and waste intensify water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and financial pressures for stakeholders in the food supply chain, Huneifat added.

The United Nations General Assembly has marked March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste, acknowledging it as a significant developmental challenge with far-reaching implications.