Study: The average annual food waste per capita in Jordan is 81.3 kilograms
Study: The household sector is the largest in terms of food waste quantities
Study: The highest household food waste quantities in Zarqa and the lowest in Ajloun
Study: The average annual food waste per capita in Jordan is about 81.3 kilograms
Study: Consumption patterns, buying habits, and poor food management are the main causes of household waste
The study on 896 restaurants shows a waste of about 12,291 tons of food
Study: The largest share of waste in restaurants occurs during the preparation and setup stages
Study: Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa rank first in terms of restaurant waste volume
Study: Food waste in the hotel sector in 2024 amounted to about 3739 tons
Study: Vegetables lead the waste types in hotels by 29%
Study: The highest percentage of waste in hotels was recorded during the serving stage
Study: The annual food waste in the hospital sector amounted to about 1302 tons
Khaberni - On Monday, three national studies were launched to measure food waste in Jordan, providing for the first time accurate figures in this field in sectors such as homes, restaurants, hotels, and hospitals.
The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Al-Hayyari, said that these studies mark a milestone in Jordan's journey towards enhancing its food security, noting that having accurate figures on the size of food waste shifts the decision-making process from the estimation and impression stage to planning based on data.
He explained that these results will contribute to formulating more effective policies and directing investments towards practical solutions that reduce food loss and mitigate its economic and environmental impacts.
Al-Hayyari highlighted the effective partnership with the World Food Programme and its technical and technical support that contributed to accomplishing these studies according to the best international standards, confirming that the Program's support for Jordan went beyond preparing the studies but also supported national efforts in enhancing food security and supporting the Kingdom's attempts to transform its food systems into more sustainable and resilient systems capable of facing increasing regional and global challenges.
The Director-General of the Department of Statistics, Haider Freihat, pointed out that the results of the studies showed that the household sector is the largest in terms of food waste quantities, indicating that a study conducted on the family sector showed that the annual per capita food waste in Jordan is about 81.3 kilograms, with the highest rates in the Zarqa governorate and the lowest in Ajloun governorate.
The study attributed the main reasons for waste in the family sector to consumption patterns, buying habits, and poor food management within families, which calls for future specialized national studies to monitor purchasing and consumption behaviors in more detail.
Freihat mentioned that a separate study conducted on a sample of 896 restaurants in various governorates of the Kingdom showed that the amount of waste amounted to about 12,291 tons, and that the largest share of waste occurred in the preparation and setup stages.
The study attributed the reasons for waste to poor planning and procurement management, and the inability to recycle, in addition to the behavior of customers and employees, while the governorates of Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa ranked first in terms of the volume of waste, corresponding to the density of restaurants there.
Freihat elaborated that the total waste quantities in the hotel sector during the year 2024 reached about 3739 tons of food, distributed according to types as follows: vegetables at 29%, wheat and its products at 13.2%, and rice at 13.1%.
The highest percentage was recorded in the serving stage at 44.4%, followed by the preparation and setup stage at 37.3%, and the pre-setup stage at 18.3%.
The results showed that employee behavior was the main reason for waste in hotels, followed by the impossibility of recycling, while customer behavior ranked last.
In the hospital sector, Freihat noted that the study included a sample from four hospitals from the public and private sectors, showing that the total annual food waste was about 1302 tons.
The study confirmed the need for interventions to improve food planning, portion control, and developing digital systems for advance ordering, which contributes to reducing waste and achieving higher efficiency in resource management.
Freihat affirmed that these figures would be integrated into the national statistical system to serve as an official reference for decision-makers and researchers, emphasizing the Department's commitment to developing monitoring and follow-up tools so that these results may serve as a starting point for more accurate and effective national programs.
The Resident Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme in Jordan, Antonella D’Aprile, said that the release of the first official figures in Jordan on food waste is a significant achievement that will guide the evidence-based policymaking process and contribute to raising public awareness about the issue of food waste.
She expressed pride in the World Food Programme’s contribution of its technical expertise to support the implementation of the national food security strategy 2021–2030, affirming that bridging this information gap paves the way for more effective interventions and optimal use of limited resources.
