# Mexico food waste and insecurity

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mexico-food-waste-and-insecurity
> Updated: 2026-08-02T06:05:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

In July 2026 Mexico highlighted a dual crisis of rising food insecurity and massive food waste. By early August, detailed government data showed the country discarding about 38 tonnes of edible food every minute – roughly 140,000 tonnes of garbage daily, with 40 % of that waste being organic and food waste making up nearly a third of the organic fraction. Analysts linked the waste to commercial standards that reject perfectly edible but imperfect produce. In response, officials and industry leaders called for a new circular‑economy law that would obligate large food generators to rescue and redistribute surplus food, offering incentives for compliance and penalties for non‑compliance, aiming to alleviate hunger while reducing waste.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-02: Mexico throws away 38 tonnes of food per minute

Mexico wastes about 38 tonnes of food each minute, representing a third of its organic waste; officials call for a circular‑economy law to force large producers to rescue and redistribute edible surplus.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mexico-throws-away-38-tonnes-of-food-per-minute

### 2026-07-09: Mexico confronts high food insecurity and massive food waste

Mexico faces food insecurity for 18% of its people while wasting 30 million tonnes of food annually, costing 2.5% of GDP and worsening emissions and hunger.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mexico-confronts-high-food-insecurity-and-massive-food-waste

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Cite as: Mexico food waste and insecurity. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mexico-food-waste-and-insecurity