NEW DELHI: One-third of food produced globally every year does not reach human mouths - it is either lost in transit or wasted by consumers themselves. This amounts to a staggering 1.3 billion tonnes every year. These chilling figures are contained in a report called 'Avoiding Future Famines' released by the United Nations Environment Programme at the recently held Rio+20 summit on sustainable development.

Consumers throw away 222 million tonnes of food in edible condition every year in North America and Europe. The total food production of Sub-Saharan Africa is 230 million tonnes per year.

Based on a study last year by a group of researchers from Swedish Institute of Food & Biotechnology (SIK), and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), the report says that food loss or waste occurs right through the food supply chain - from farm to dining table.