• CREDA, together with IRTA, analyses consumer habits and the impact of food waste in a study commissioned by the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació.
• The study shows that each Catalan throws away 21.56 kg of food per year, 74% of which is food that has not been cooked.

June 27, 2025

The Centre de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari (CREDA), together with IRTA, has published the results of the Diagnosis of food waste in Catalan households in 2024, a study commissioned by the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació, which analyzes consumption habits and the impact of food waste on domestic consumption in Catalonia.

To carry out the diagnosis, CREDA and IRTA teams differentiated between the food that directly becomes waste (such as inedible parts), and the waste generated by all food intended for human consumption (in a state fit for ingestion or not) that is removed and rejected.

Thus, the study has a total of seven main objectives: (2) quantify food waste in households; (2) identify where the most waste is generated; (3) identify the most wasted foods; (4) understand the causes that determine waste; (5) understand the behaviour of consumers in households; (6) evaluate the environmental impact of the waste generated in households; and (7) evaluate its socioeconomic impact.

A total of 456 households distributed throughout Catalonia make up the final sample, divided by provinces with the highest population representation: Barcelona (73%), followed by Tarragona (13%), Girona (9%), and Lleida (5%). Furthermore, all participants were over 18 years of age and responsible for purchasing food within their households.

Main results observed

According to the data collected in the assessment, more than 173,000 tons of food were thrown away in 2024, representing an average waste of 63.41 kg of food per household. Regarding food, the study shows that pasta and rice are the most wasted, accounting for 10.43% of the total, followed by legumes, at 10.35%.

When separated by cooked and uncooked foods, salads and pasta dishes are the most frequently thrown away, at 12.5% ​​and 12.4%, respectively. However, fruit (22%) and vegetables (21%) are the most frequently wasted foods.

In terms of economic and social impact, food waste represents a loss of €330 per year for each household, which represents approximately €112 per inhabitant per year. Furthermore, the food thrown away could feed 274,948 people for an entire year.

With environmental quantification, the study was able to estimate the climate change impact of a total of 462,347,277 kg of CO2-eq emitted to produce, distribute, and market food that reached Catalan homes but was ultimately not consumed. This figure is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of approximately 73,388 people.

After a year of research, the assessment concludes that each Catalan throws away 21.56 kg of food per year, 74% of which is uncooked. This shows that one of the main causes of food waste in households is the population’s consumption habits. In response to this problem, the Department, together with CREDA and IRTA, are developing a pilot intervention focused on providing information, tools, and advice to consumers to improve food conservation and utilization.