The global food system generates about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Within this framework, food waste accounts for up to 10% of global emissions.
Each year, more than 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted, which also implies the loss of water, energy, soil, and human labor. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world.
Food Banks: a concrete response
The model of Food Banks has been established as an effective tool to reduce losses and improve distribution. The global network, present in more than 50 countries, highlights food rescue as a strategy to reduce emissions and strengthen sustainable food systems.
In Argentina, where high levels of food insecurity coexist with large volumes of surplus, food recovery presents a dual opportunity: environmental and social impact.
Results in Argentina
During 2025, Bancos de Alimentos Argentina (BAA) managed to rescue and distribute more than 21 million kilos of food, avoiding the emission of 56 million kilos of CO₂ equivalent and the waste of 36 million cubic meters of water. Each kilo recovered preserves the entire previous process: production, transportation, and storage.
The system relies on a logistics model that connects food outside the commercial circuit —due to aesthetics, overstock, or proximity to expiration— with social organizations that turn them into meals.
Innovation and new tools
BAA promotes initiatives to optimize rescue:
- Direct to the Rescue: an app that facilitates the recovery of micro-donations in the retail sector, improving traceability and logistical efficiency.
- On-site training: practices for comprehensive utilization, menu planning, and sustainable cooking.
- Cultural awareness: promoting responsible consumption habits and valuing food as a strategic resource.
Environmental and cultural dimension
Food rescue not only prevents food from ending up in the trash but also preserves natural resources and reduces emissions. It also proposes a cultural change: incorporating utilization criteria and modifying consumption habits to reduce the environmental impact of the food system.
Food rescue is consolidated as a concrete tool against climate change and food insecurity. In Argentina, BAA’s experience demonstrates that the combination of efficient logistics, technological innovation, and education can generate a measurable impact: millions of meals and millions of tons of emissions avoided.
The environmental agenda can no longer be thought of without the food system, and within this, waste appears as one of the most urgent variables. Each recovered food item is a dual opportunity: to feed those in need and to care for the planet’s resources.
