The United Nations World Tourism Organization has joined a groundbreaking new partnership to tackle food waste around the globe.
According to a press release, UN Tourism will now work with the Center for Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge and the TUI Care Foundation to create sustainable and circular food systems within the tourism industry.
The partnership's Tourism Food for Good program will aim to reduce food waste, improve food security, and promote local agriculture throughout the world. The program will seek out policymakers, businesses, and communities to find and implement practical solutions to food waste concerns that are prominent in the tourism industry.
According to Zoritsa Urosevic, executive director of UN Tourism, 20% to 40% of all food served throughout the tourism industry is ultimately wasted. Urosevic noted that the Food for Good program will not only attempt to cut down on this waste, but "reduce tourism's food-related carbon footprint while advancing global food security" as well.
UN Tourism reported that 1.5 billion international tourists traveled the world in 2024. Hotels, resorts, and restaurants often prepare more food than needed because of the unpredictable nature of the tourism industry. This can add to the already staggering amount of food waste that is produced every year.
Not only can food waste worsen food insecurity for hundreds of millions of people, but it can play a major role in rising global temperatures. As food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, one of the most potent forms of pollution responsible for increasing temperatures. The UN estimates that food loss and waste account for around 8% to 10% of all heat-trapping emissions.
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"Tourism connects people and places — and food is a key element of this connection," said Thomas Ellerbeck, chairperson of the board of trustees of TUI Care Foundation, per the press release. "We're working to reduce food waste to a minimum. Food management is the future: intelligent planning, efficient, data driven, and sustainable. The initiative will not only create a road map for the future, but also test real solutions on the ground."
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