RAS question
According to the FAO, approximately what fraction of all food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted each year?
Correct answer: (C) One-third (about 33%).
According to FAO's 2011 report Global Food Losses and Food Waste, roughly one-third of food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted each year.
Explanation
FAO's Global Food Losses and Food Waste report gives the benchmark: roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, amounting to about 1.3 billion tonnes per year. This makes one-third, or about 33%, the closest fraction. The report frames the issue across the entire food chain, not only at the consumer end. The exam-relevant pattern is that developing countries face disproportionately high post-harvest losses because storage, handling and cold-chain infrastructure are weak, while developed countries see more waste at the consumer level. For RAS, the key is to remember both the headline FAO estimate and the geography of where losses typically occur.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) One-tenth is too low because the FAO benchmark is roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption, not about 10%.
- (B) One-fifth still understates the FAO estimate, which is closer to one-third or about 33%.
- (D) One-half overstates the FAO figure; the cited estimate is roughly one-third, not 50%.
Concept
This tests food security and resource-use geography, especially global food loss and waste across the food chain. It recurs in RAS because agriculture, hunger, storage infrastructure and sustainable development are often linked in geography and economy questions.