Food waste in primary production in the UK Share 25th July 2019

[Bogweevil]

Main findings
The central estimate for the total amount of food surplus and waste is 3.6 million tonnes per annum, or 7.2% of all food harvested. If this wasted and surplus food had been sold at market values, it would have had a value of £1.2 billion. Some small part of this value is recovered through sales for animal feed.
The food waste component of the above is estimated at 1.6 million tonnes per annum, or 3.2% of all food harvested. When clustered into product types, horticultural crops make up 54% of the total, cereals 30%, livestock 8% and milk 8%.
The amount of surplus food – that is material that was at risk of becoming waste, but goes instead for redistribution, animal feed, or to become bio-based materials – is estimated at an additional 2.0 million tonnes per annum (4.0% of all food harvested).

Food waste in primary production in the UK

An estimate for food surplus and food waste in primary production in the UK.

www.wrap.org.uk

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Where is the definition of waste?

Food into landfill?

Food not harvested?

Even "food left to rot in the fields", as described in the daily mail, has a value due to its contribution to soil.

It would be more useful to look at what proportion of food leaves the farm but never finds a mouth.