Mexico throws away 38 tonnes of food per minute

According to the Mexican Food Bank, the country discards about 38 tonnes of edible food every minute, enough to feed a medium‑sized city in the time it takes to read a column. A recent diagnostic report on waste management, released by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), shows Mexico generates roughly 140,000 tonnes of garbage daily, of which 40 % is organic and food waste accounts for nearly a third of that organic fraction. The report, part of the 2026 national waste‑management plan, highlights the need for a circular‑economy approach. CEO Kim Durand of the Cheaf platform argues that commercial standards cause perfectly edible products—such as blemished fruit, day‑old bread or near‑expiry dairy—to be discarded, while millions suffer food insecurity. He urges the new circular‑economy law to require large food generators to rescue and redistribute surplus food, with incentives for compliance and penalties for non‑compliance.