Tackling food loss and waste: A critical path to food security and sustainability

Have you ever heard about the Filipino mumo? Perhaps you have been acquainted with the term that refers to a scary creature, but in a country like the Philippines, it also refers to something just as scary: leftover grains of cooked rice. Growing up, some Filipinos are accustomed to hearing their parents admonish their children to make sure they finish their food, leaving no trace – not even mumo – on their plate. This is how much the typical Filipino family values the food being served on their plates, given the challenges in food security. Yet in many communities, leftovers and other food wastes remain a typical sight.

Food loss and waste (FLW) around the world is staggering. Globally, one-third of all food produced – approximately 1.3 billion tons – never reach consumers, equating to a loss of US$ 400 billion annually. In the Asia Pacific Region, this translates to around 370 million people struggling with hunger. Key crops such as rice and corn in the Philippines alone face substantial postharvest losses, reaching up to 16.5 percent for rice and 7.2 percent for corn. High-value crops, including vegetables, suffer even higher losses – up to 42 percent ­– particularly during transportation and marketing?. The irony is, these are also among the most wasted food in Filipino households, with rice, vegetables, and meat topping the country’s household plate waste survey. This is also next to the fact that 51 million Filipinos are food insecure, which is almost three times higher than the regional average.

The causes of FLW in Asia and the Pacific are diverse and interconnected. In the Philippines, the archipelagic geography complicates food distribution, while the tropical climate and natural disasters accelerate spoilage. Inadequate harvesting practices, and poor storage and handling techniques at the production level lead to significant losses. Bananas, for example, can suffer up to 35% loss due to premature ripening and mechanical damage during transport. Vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage are vulnerable to spoilage, with up to 50% being wasted before reaching consumers?.

Social and cultural dynamics, such as gender inequalities, often restrict women—who are key actors in post-harvest handling—from accessing the resources they need to reduce food loss?.
Poor infrastructure, particularly the lack of cold storage facilities, remains a significant bottleneck. While cold storage could drastically reduce vegetable or fish losses during harvest and marketing, access to such facilities is limited in rural or coastal areas. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated logistical disruptions, leading to massive food losses during lockdowns due to transportation and supply chain bottlenecks?.

FLW not only undermines efforts to alleviate hunger but also drives environmental degradation. Global FLW creates about 8 to 10 percent of greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and at least one-quarter of all agricultural water used to grow food is ultimately wasted.

The solutions to FLW are clear. First, we need stronger infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. Investments in post-harvest technologies can drastically reduce waste. Countries like the Philippines can also benefit from improved access to climate financing options to fund infrastructure projects that address FLW and mitigate the impact of GHGs. Investing in making cold storage facilities more accessible, for instance, could cut vegetable losses during harvest and marketing by up to 50%, preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of high value crops?.

Additionally, addressing systemic inequalities, such as the barriers that women face in accessing resources and technologies, is essential to ensure that all actors in the food supply chain can contribute to reducing losses?.

Governments can also incentivize businesses to adopt FLW-reducing technologies and practices, while also investing in research and innovation. In the Philippines, mechanization efforts such as improved rice milling technology, carrot washing machines, and cold storage systems are already reducing waste at key stages of the value chain??.

To make significant strides, FLW reduction must be integrated into broader efforts to transform agrifood systems. Moving towards circular food systems, where resources are reused and food waste streams are minimized, offers a path toward sustainability.

At the consumer level, reducing food waste requires both behavioral change and educational efforts. Advocating for FLW reduction means leaving no one behind – from production to consumption?.

As a leading voice in the fight against FLW, the United Nations has already launched numerous initiatives across the region. In the Philippines, the UN is already supporting the Government’s efforts to reduce post-harvest losses in rice and corn by 2% and fisheries losses by 10%, as well as transformation of the National agrifood systems towards more efficiency and sustainability.

Similarly, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Food Programme (WFP) are collaborating on campaigns like the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, encouraging collective action to reduce FLW as part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FAO’s initiative “Do Good: Save Food!” engages young students, teaching them about the environmental footprint of food waste, and empowering them to advocate for more sustainable consumption habits?.

WFP’s support to link smallholder farmers to school meals and other institutional markets better matches supply with demand, reducing supply chain related post-harvest losses.

Every ton of food wasted is a missed opportunity to feed the hungry, preserve the environment, and enhance economic resilience. We must act now by investing in solutions that reduce FLW, from farm to table, and supporting the transformation of our agrifood systems into more sustainable and efficient networks. Governments, the private sector, and individuals must all work together to create meaningful change. A food-secure future is still possible.

May the next generation of Filipinos remain familiar with the mumo, and never let even a grain of rice go to waste.

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Dr. Lionel Dabbadie is the FAO Representative in the Philippines.

Regis Chapman is the Representative and Country Director at World Food Programme Philippines Country Office.

Gustavo Gonzalez the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of United Nations in the Philippines