Food waste impacts supply chains and households in Latin America

Food loss and waste present significant environmental, economic, and social challenges across Latin America. In Argentina, it is estimated that up to one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from primary production to household consumption. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that globally, approximately 1.3 billion tons of edible food are discarded annually.

In Argentina, the Red de Bancos de Alimentos estimates that 16 million tons of food are lost or wasted each year, representing 12.5% of total agri-food production. On an individual level, nutrition specialists note that an average person in the country discards roughly 38 kilograms of edible food per year. Common items discarded in households include prepared meals, leftovers, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and bakery products.

Research highlights a distinction between food loss, which occurs during production, harvesting, and distribution due to technical or logistical failures, and food waste, which happens at the retail and consumer levels due to planning, storage, or aesthetic preferences. Addressing these issues requires interventions across the entire chain to mitigate the waste of essential resources like water, energy, and labor.