The rate of food waste has constantly been increasing annually. The amount of food that was reported wasted in 2019 was double the initial estimate. Wealthier countries reportedly wasted more food than the less wealthy.
Nigeria alone is reported to waste about 900,000 tonnes of tomatoes out of the 1.5 million tonnes harvested annually.
Researchers have found a direct link between food waste and wealth after analysing both factors.
People in poorer countries reportedly begin to waste more food as they begin to accumulate wealth. Globally, people wasted about 727 calories daily.
In 2017, Nigeria alone was reported to waste about $750 billion worth of food even though a large part of the country’s population is currently in poverty and are starving. About 86.9 million out of the 200 million Nigerians are living in poverty as of 2019.
According to UNICEF, about 2 million children suffer from SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) in Nigeria annually, in the Northern part of Nigeria especially.