New figures shared by Turkish authorities on waste recovery and recycling targets have reignited discussions around food loss, resource efficiency and their implications for agriculture and feed supply chains. The announcements coincide with renewed global attention on food waste as a driver of both hunger and emissions.

Statements by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan indicated that 90 million tons of waste has been recovered under the country’s Zero Waste initiative since 2017, generating an estimated TRY 365 billion in economic value. Authorities also reiterated targets to increase recycling rates to 60% by 2035 and 70% by 2053, framing waste management as part of broader climate and resource strategies.

Separately, Emine Erdoğan drew attention to the global scale of food loss and waste, citing that 673 million people face hunger while over 2 billion lack adequate nutrition. She noted that a significant share of food waste occurs at the household level and emphasized its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

For feed and grain markets, such figures reinforce ongoing concerns about inefficiencies across the food chain. Losses at production, processing and consumption stages directly affect raw material availability, by-product flows and overall cost structures in feed manufacturing.

While policy narratives continue to stress behavioral change and awareness, industry stakeholders are increasingly focused on measurable interventions—such as improved storage, logistics and valorization of food waste streams—to mitigate both economic and environmental losses.

The Zero Waste initiative, launched in 2017, later gained international recognition when the UN General Assembly designated 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste in 2022.