This article highlights how food waste is a huge financial problem, expected to cost about $540 billion globally in 2026. It explains that a large portion of this waste happens at the retail and supply chain level, where businesses overproduce or fail to sell products before they expire. Businesses lose money when they throw away unsold food, even after paying to produce, package, transport, and store it, which adds up to major losses over time. The article also points out that food waste is not just an economic issue but also an environmental one, since wasted food uses valuable resources like water, energy, and labor.

In addition, the article suggests that reducing food waste could actually create new economic opportunities, such as improving efficiency, developing better storage technology, and redistributing excess food to those in need. Some companies are already investing in smarter inventory systems and donation programs to cut down on waste. I think this is important because companies may take the issue more seriously when they realise how much money they are losing, but it will require consistent effort and changes in business practices to make a real difference.

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/why-food-waste-540-billion-business-opportunity-hiding-plain-sight