Waste not, want not

Europe produces about 654 million metric tonnes of food for human consumption per year. Of that 205 million tonnes is wasted - some 34% by consumers themselves and the remaining 66 percent by the producer/farmer (36%), transport and storage (11%), food processing industry (13%) and the retail sector (7%).  Worldwide it has been estimated that of every three calories of food produced, one is wasted.

In the Netherlands about 4.4 billion euros worth of food is wasted annually - consumers are responsible for 2.4 billion euros and farmers, caterers, supermarkets, transporters and food processors the remaining 2 billion euros. An average supermarket in Holland chucks out between 500 and 1000 euros worth of food every week - some 1-2% of their turnover. Caterers, care institutions and restaurants throw out some 5% of the food they buy in - sometimes as much as over 50%.

In Europe about 50% of potatoes and other tuberous foods are wasted.  45% of fruit and vegetables, 33% of grain and flour products, 30% of fish, 20% meat products and 12% of dairy products are wasted.

From this perspective, feeding a more crowded planet would seem easy - just reduce waste.