In Germany, around 10.8 million tons of food are thrown away each year, with private households responsible for the majority of the waste, accounting for 58 percent.
Other contributors include cafes and restaurants (18 percent), food processing (15 percent), retail (7 percent), and production (2 percent). This massive food waste occurs even as millions of people around the world continue to suffer from hunger.
The primary responsibility for food waste in Germany falls on residents, but several factors contribute to the problem. According to the publication Monitor, producers often package products in overly large quantities, leading consumers to purchase more than they need. Large shopping carts in supermarkets also encourage shoppers to buy more food than planned. Additionally, producers frequently shorten the minimum shelf life of products, contributing to unnecessary waste.
In response to the issue, the German government launched a program in 2019 aimed at reducing food waste. At that time, 11 million tons of food were being discarded annually. The goal is to cut this number in half by 2030. Among the recommended strategies by the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture are creating shopping lists before visiting the store and avoiding shopping when hungry.
