--- title: "Report: food system emits more GHGs than any other economic sector" description: When all contributors are factored in–from land use to food waste–the food system contributes approximately 34 percent of global emissions. image: https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/Foodsystem-1.jpg --- [![Logo](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo.png?width=146&height=36&name=Logo.png "Logo")](https://www.leanpath.com) - [Products](https://www.leanpath.com/products/) - [Kitchen Waste Solutions](https://www.leanpath.com/products/food-waste-tracking/) - [Plate Waste Solutions](https://www.leanpath.com/products/plate-waste-tracking/) - [Industries](https://www.leanpath.com/industries/) - [Contract Management](https://www.leanpath.com/industries/food-industry-waste-management-solutions/) - [Hospitality](https://www.leanpath.com/industries/hotel-food-waste-management-solutions/) - [Colleges and Universities](https://www.leanpath.com/industries/college-university/) - [Healthcare](https://www.leanpath.com/industries/hospital-food-waste-management-solutions) - [Restaurants](https://restaurants.leanpath.com) - [Resources](https://info.leanpath.com/resources) - [Resources Hub](https://info.leanpath.com/resources) - [Blog](https://blog.leanpath.com/) - [Case Studies](https://info.leanpath.com/resources#case-studies) - [Webinars](https://info.leanpath.com/resources#webinars) - [Guides](https://info.leanpath.com/resources#guides) - [About](https://www.leanpath.com/about/) - [About Leanpath](https://www.leanpath.com/about/) - [Leanpath 12.3 Initiative](https://www.leanpath.com/leanpath-initiative/) - [Careers](https://www.leanpath.com/about/#carrers) - [Contact Us](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/) - [Client Help Center](https://online.leanpath.com/ccm/login?zendeskRedirect=true) - [Support](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/) - [Login](https://online.leanpath.com/ccm/login) [Get a Demo \>\>](https://www.leanpath.com/demo-request) ![close](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/close.svg) ### Let’s get the conversation started Fill out the form below to discuss the best solution for your operation: ## Report: food system emits more GHGs than any other economic sector #### Posted By Sam Smith, Director of Marketing on Jul 30, 2024 - [![Facebook\_icon\_blurpl 1](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/Facebook_icon_blurpl%201.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.leanpath.com/report-food-system-emits-more-ghgs-than-any-other-economic-sector) - [![Linkedin\_blue](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/Linkedin_blue.svg)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.leanpath.com/report-food-system-emits-more-ghgs-than-any-other-economic-sector) - [![email\_blue](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/email_blue.svg)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.leanpath.com/report-food-system-emits-more-ghgs-than-any-other-economic-sector&body=Check%20out%20https://blog.leanpath.com/report-food-system-emits-more-ghgs-than-any-other-economic-sector&media=https://416759.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/416759/Foodsystem-1.jpg) ![Foodsystem-1](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Foodsystem-1.jpg?width=790&height=527&name=Foodsystem-1.jpg) When all contributors are factored in–from land use to food waste–the food system contributes approximately 34 percent of global emissions. This surpasses electricity production and industry by approximately 10 percent each, making it the largest greenhouse gas emitting economic sector in the world. The finding, [from Project Drawdown](https://drawdown.org/news/insights/fixing-foods-big-climate-problem), is accompanied by four primary actions to reduce the food system’s impact. The first is to improve food system efficiency. “The best place to start is curbing food loss and waste,” wrote Project Drawdown Executive Director Jonathan Foley.   “A staggering 30 to 40 percent of the world’s food is never eaten,” Foley continues. “With roughly one in three units of food lost or wasted, we have to grow about 50 percent more food than we actually eat. This inefficiency costs the world money and resources, exacerbates food insecurity, and causes environmental damage.” The other actions to address the food systems contribution to climate change are protecting ecosystems, improving farming methods, and improving things like transportation and refrigeration methods. The report is full of other staggering data points: - We use a land area equivalent to the size of South America to grow crops. (Keep in mind that half of that area is used to compensate for lost and wasted food.) - An area the size of Africa is used to graze animals, mainly cattle. - The food system is the largest driver of habitat and biodiversity loss on the planet. - It is by far the biggest user of water on Earth (using about 70 percent of fresh waste resources) as well as the biggest water polluter. When food is wasted, all of those resources are squandered and wasted food continues to create further impact, emitting methane–one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses–as it decays. The good news is that the foodservice industry can be part of the solution. Find out more about the power of food waste prevention in our free e-book [Why Food Waste Prevention Should Be Your Top Sustainability Initiative](https://info.leanpath.com/why-food-waste-prevention-should-be-your-top-sustainability-initiative). And[contact Leanpath today](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/) to learn how your operation can cut its food waste in half. [![New call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/416759/d8c4271c-ab22-4da5-9815-725d2bf5d8bf.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/416759/d8c4271c-ab22-4da5-9815-725d2bf5d8bf) Topics: [Case Study](https://blog.leanpath.com/topic/case-study) [All Posts](https://blog.leanpath.com) [Next \>\>](https://blog.leanpath.com/the-university-of-nebraska-slashes-plate-waste-by-51-and-kitchen-waste-by-40) [![Logo Leanpath Footer](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo%20Leanpath%20Footer.png?width=300&height=74&name=Logo%20Leanpath%20Footer.png "Logo Leanpath Footer")](http://leanpath.com) ![Footer Sign-off](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Footer%20Sign-off.png?width=306&height=64&name=Footer%20Sign-off.png) #### Contact Us [![USA](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/USA.png?width=62&height=21&name=USA.png)](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/#world-headquarters) [![UK](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/UK.png?width=62&height=21&name=UK.png)](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/#world-headquarters) [![AUS](https://blog.leanpath.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AUS.png?width=62&height=21&name=AUS.png)](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/#world-headquarters) [+1 503-620-6512 - Americas](tel:+15036206512) [+44 (0) 20 7509 0477 - EMEA & APAC](tel:+44%20(0)%2020%207509%200477) [Contact Us](https://www.leanpath.com/contact/) [Media Contact](https://www.leanpath.com/about/#media-contact) #### Want to know more? Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest food waste prevention news from Leanpath–delivered monthly to your inbox. © 2007-2026 Leanpath, Inc. All rights reserved. Leanpath and ValuWaste are registered trademarks of Leanpath, Inc. US Patent #7,415,375 - [Privacy Policy](https://www.leanpath.com/privacy-policy/) - [Data Processing Addendum (DPA)](https://www.leanpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Leanpath_DPA_R2_July-2026.pdf) [![linkedin](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/leanpath-inc./) [![instagram](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/instagram.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/leanpath/) [![youtube](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/user/LeanPath) [![Facebook](https://blog.leanpath.com/hubfs/Facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/leanpath/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "alternateName" : "Food Waste Solutions", "logo" : "https://www.leanpath.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Leanpath_HorizontalLogo_White_540x180-e1644843710224.png", "name" : "Leanpath", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/leanpath/", "https://twitter.com/Leanpath", "https://www.instagram.com/leanpath/", "https://www.youtube.com/user/LeanPath", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/leanpath-inc./" ], "url" : "https://www.leanpath.com/" } ```