Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2026

Learn about International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2026, its theme, importance, objectives, food waste facts and exam-oriented points for TNPSC and competitive exams.

Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

• International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed annually on 29 September to promote global action and awareness around reducing food loss and waste.

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Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste – Basic Facts

• Day = International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
• Abbreviation = IDAFLW
• Observed on = 29 September every year
• Proclaimed by = United Nations General Assembly
• Resolution = A/RES/74/209
• Resolution adopted on = 19 December 2019
• First observance = 2020
• Co-convened by = FAO and UNEP
• Main objective = Raise awareness and promote action to reduce food loss and food waste
• Related SDG = SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
• Key target = SDG Target 12.3
• The UN General Assembly designated 29 September as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste through Resolution 74/209.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

What is Food Loss?

• Food loss generally occurs before food reaches the retail stage

What is Food Loss and Food Waste?

• Food waste mainly refers to food discarded at the retail, food-service and household/consumer levels.
• Food Loss → Mainly earlier stages of the food supply chain
• Food Waste → Mainly retail, food service and consumer levels
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

Major impacts in Food Loss and Food Waste

• Food security – Reducing losses can make more food available.
• Nutrition – Better use of available food supports healthier diets.
• Climate change – Less wasted food means fewer emissions associated with producing and disposing of it.
• Natural resources – Reduces unnecessary pressure on land and water.
• Economic development – Reduces financial losses throughout food supply chains.
• Sustainable agriculture – Supports more efficient and resilient agrifood systems.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

Important Global Statistics

• Around 13% of food produced globally is lost between the post-harvest stage and before retail.
• About 19% of food available to consumers is wasted, equivalent to approximately 1.05 billion tonnes annually.
• Of food waste, approximately 60% occurs at household level, 28% in food service, and 12% at retail.
• Food loss and waste are associated with approximately 10% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Food that is lost or wasted occupies about 28% of the world’s agricultural land.
• Food waste results in the disposal of food worth more than US$1 trillion annually.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

SDG Connection – Very Important for Exams

• SDG 12 = Responsible Consumption and Production.
• Target 12.3 = Halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2026

• 2026 Theme / Focus = “The Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste”

Key International Organizations

• FAO = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Focus = Agriculture, food security, food loss and sustainable agrifood systems.
• UNEP = United Nations Environment Programme
• Focus = Environmental impacts of food waste, resource efficiency and sustainable consumption.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

Indian Context: Initiatives & Policy Interventions

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) = Focuses on end-to-end supply chain infrastructure, Mega Food Parks, cold-chain corridors, and agro-processing clusters.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) = Provides medium-to-long term debt financing for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
• FSSAI Food Recovery Ecosystem = “Save Food, Share Food, Share Joy”: Regulations to bridge food surplus donors with non-profit food recovery organisations.
• Indian Food Sharing Alliance (IFSA) = A structured network to prevent food wastage in weddings, caterers, and commercial establishments.
• Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) = Explicitly promotes consumer-level food conservation and waste minimisation.
• Operation Greens = Expanded from “TOP” (Tomato, Onion, Potato) to comprehensive perishables to stabilise supply chains and mitigate glut-period spoilage.
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026

Important One-Liners for TNPSC

• International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste → 29 September
• First observed → 2020
• Proclaimed by → UN General Assembly
• Resolution → A/RES/74/209
• Resolution adopted → 19 December 2019
• Co-convened by → FAO and UNEP
• Related SDG → SDG 12
• Key target → SDG 12.3
• SDG 12.3 deadline → 2030
• 2026 theme/focus → “The Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste”
• 2026 observance → 7th observance
• Major 2026 connection → Forests and sustainable agrifood systems
• Intl Day of Awareness of Food Loss & Waste 2026