Exploring disparities in the generation of food waste from a spatial and sustainability perspective

Abstract

In the near future, food production will encounter numerous challenges. The world’s population, per capita intake of calories, protein, and cereals is growing, and expected to continue increasing in the future. According to the World Resources Institute, feeding 9-10 billion people by 2050 will require a 70% increase in food calorie compared to 2006 levels. The expansion of crop and livestock production, the increasing use of fertilisers and pesticides at global level, and the growing adoption of precision farming methods may not be appropriate in the light of problems such as soil degradation, the impact of climate change on yields, the depletion of fish stocks and the reduction of arable land per capita in certain areas. Mitigation of food waste can be a possible way to sustainable food supply but it alone cannot solve the problem. The paper focuses on examining disparities in the generation of food waste from a spatial and sustainability perspective within EU-countries. Data related to food waste and various environmental, social and economic indicators are collected for EU countries. Correlation between these parameters is investigated to find possible connections. Cluster analysis is applied to food waste data to find the groups of countries with similar characteristics. The distribution of environmental, economical, and social parameters is calculated for these groups, and statistical methods are applied to investigate their differences.