The world wastes more than 1.3 billion tonnes of food each year. The planet’s 1 billion hungry people could be fed on less than a quarter of the food wasted in the US and Europe.
In a recent report, the World Economic Forum identified cutting food waste by up to 20 million tonnes as one of 12 measures that could help transform global food systems by 2030.
Now South Korea is taking a lead, recycling 95% of its food waste.
It wasn’t always this way in the country. The mouth-watering array of side dishes that accompany a traditional South Korean meal – called banchan – are often left unfinished, contributing to one of the world’s highest rates of food wastage. South Koreans each generate more than 130 kg of food waste each year.