Billions Of Animals Killed For Food End Up In The Bin, Says New Study

A new study has found that approximately 18 billion animals that are killed for food end up being thrown away, with a third of food produced globally going to waste. The study calculated the animal cost embodied in wasted food across the entire food supply chain and found that cutting meat loss and waste could spare 7.9 billion animal lives globally, without affecting how much meat humans consume.

The research showed that chickens are the most wasted animal, accounting for the majority of animals thrown away, with turkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, and cows following. The study also highlighted that reducing food waste could save billions of animal lives and have significant environmental benefits, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the environmental impact of meat production. Experts suggest that moving towards a plant-based system could be the best solution to combat these issues and benefit both animals and the planet.