Mexico’s Food Waste Crisis

Despite generating over 22 million tonnes of food waste annually, Mexico continues to face significant challenges in implementing a cohesive and effective national strategy to address the issue.

Diana Butron

Mexico is discarding an estimated 22.7 million tonnes of food each year, an average of about 102 kg per person, meaning a significant national challenge. [1] Around 72 % of that waste occurs in the early stages of the supply chain — from production, harvesting, storage and transport — while the remaining 28 % is lost at retail and consumer levels. [2]

Households alone are responsible for roughly 11 million tonnes of waste annually, according to estimates. [3] To visualize the magnitude: the beef wasted weekly in Mexico could fill the Latin American Tower (a 44 story skyscraper), and the volume of discarded vegetables would cover more than 1,100 Azteca Stadium fields. [1]

Other studies place Mexico’s food loss and waste at 20 to 20.4 million tonnes annually, or roughly 34 % of national production [4]. The economic burden is also high: one assessment by WRAP and the World Bank estimated annual losses at USD 25 billion, or around 2.5 % of Mexico’s GDP. [5]

Mexico has attempted a national strategy on food loss and waste, aimed at improving coordination, monitoring and policy responses. However, implementation has been lacking. The obstacles observed seem to be gaps in data collection, monitoring, enforcement and institutional capacity. [5]

Some local initiatives offer glimmers of hope. In Mexico City, the massive ‘Central de Abastos’ wholesale market has cut daily food waste by 24 % since 2020, redirecting nearly 800 tons of unsold produce to soup kitchens. [6] Meanwhile, new zero waste restaurants, such as 'Baldío', are also joining the sustainable initiative by experimenting with closed loop supply chains and creative reuse of food scraps. [7]

Still, experts warn these efforts are not enough. Without consistent enforcement, stronger incentives for private actors, and robust measurement systems, Mexico risks failing to meet global goals.

Sources

[1] Mexico Business News. (2022, August 31). The reality of food waste in Mexico. https://mexicobusiness.news/agribusiness/news/reality-food-waste-mexico

[2] El Universal. (2017,December 09). Mexico wastes more than 20.4 million tons of food each year. El Universal English. https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english/mexico-wastes-more-204-million-tons-food-each-year/
[3] Gover, M., Swannell, R., & Reynolds, C. (2020). Addressing the food loss and waste challenge – a WRAP perspective. In Food loss and waste reduction (Scripta Varia 147, pp. 240–245). Pontifical Academy of Sciences. https://www.pas.va/en/publications/scripta-varia/sv147pas/gover.html
[4] Mundo Rosas, V., Morales Díaz, L. D., Posadas Domínguez, R. R., González Victoria, R. M., Galarde López, M., & García Guerra, A. (2024). Characterization and analysis of public policies to prevent and manage food waste in Mexico. Sustainability, 16(24), Article 10890. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410890
[5] WRAP & World Bank. (2022). Conceptual framework for a national strategy on food loss and waste in Mexico. WRAP. https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/conceptual-framework-national-strategy-food-loss-and-waste-mexico
[6] NPR. (2024, January 2). Mexico City's massive food market finds ways to cut waste and feed the hungry. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/02/1221356114/mexico-city-food-waste-central-de-abastos
[7] Reuters. (2025, August 7). Mexico City restaurant blends zero waste and ancient agriculture. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/mexico-city-restaurant-blends-zero-waste-ancient-agriculture-2025-08-07/

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