While one person in  ten around the world is going hungry, more than 2.5 billion tons of food is wasted every year – this would be enough to feed twice as many people as there are starving people. According to Eurostat, food waste in Lithuania alone exceeded 390 thousand tons in 2021. The country’s food consumption sustainability map, compiled for the first time on the initiative of Mantinga, revealed that residents of Utena, Alytus, Tauragė and Vilnius counties stand out as having the most responsible attitude towards food choices and intolerance to food waste.

“As one of the largest food producers in the country, the issue of food waste is of utmost importance to us. We started this initiative with the goal of drawing public attention to the problem of aimless food waste, while encouraging a responsible choice the same time – to buy purposefully, only after carefully planning your needs. The index of food consumption habits prepared according to a survey of public opinion reveals not only the habits of the population and the tendency to get rid of products that are no longer usable, but also the spontaneous purchase of food products, the attitude towards excessive consumption, the sorting of food waste, and other important aspects of sustainable purchasing and consumption,” says Mantas Agentas, CEO of the company Mantinga, which initiated this study.

Among the country’s regions, Utena County scored the highest index of responsible food consumption habits (9 points out of 10 possible). The second place is shared by three counties, rated 8.1 points – Alytus, Tauragė and Vilnius. Kaunas and Telšiai counties were in third place (7.6 points each).

Map for download here:

https://be.mantinga.lt/media/file/08/d7/1263b583cda7d9b5e921fd3ed5fb.pdf.