The report finds that globally, a colossal 766 million tonnes of grain are wasted every year from being fed to farmed animals, most of which are in factory farms. This is much more than is thrown away by households (631m tonnes), food service (290m tonnes) or retail (131m tonnes).

The figures for the UK are no better. Over 50% of the grain – wheat, barley and oats – is used as animal feed. This is equivalent to a loss of 8.3m tonnes – far greater that the 6.4m tonnes of household food waste.

Our report estimates that phasing out the use of grain as feed would free up at least 790,000 hectares of land in the UK – equating to more than all of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk combined – that could be used to grow crops for direct human consumption such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, pulses, peas, beans, nuts and seeds – all of which contribute to a diverse, healthy, nutritious diet. This could feed an extra 16.5 million people in the UK each year.

And it’s getting worse. If nothing changes, by 2040 factory farms could need double the grain we currently use.

We’ve released a powerful interactive tool which shows the scale of the problem in key countries.

Environmental damage

The report also highlights how this wasteful system is devastating our planet. Vast areas of land (thousands of hectares) are cleared to grow crops to feed animals which drives deforestation, kills nature and harms local communities.

The huge demand for grain as animal feed has also led to the expansion of monocultures. And the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilisers is degrading soil and polluting our air and water.

Anthony Field, Head of our UK Office, said:

This research reveals just how utterly inefficient our current UK food system is. In the UK, factory farming is wasting 8.3M tonnes of food annually, yet simultaneously we see thousands of people going hungry and a dramatic increase in demand for food banks. As well as being the world’s biggest form of animal cruelty, fuelling climate change and killing nature, factory farming wastes food on a colossal scale.

The numbers reveal the huge challenge ahead. If the Government is serious about improving UK food security, they need to support farmers to move away from wasteful grain-based factory farming, adopting fair policies that prioritise food over feed.

Human-edible crops should be fed directly to people instead of to animals used to produce meat or dairy. This change could feed an extra 16.5 million people in the UK every year. It’s vital the Government considers this new research when shaping its new Food Strategy reforms.

Take action

We’re asking supporters to sign an open letter to the UK Prime Minister calling on a future where food nourishes people, not factory farms. The letter already has the backing of many public figures and experts, including Dragons’ Den investor and businesswoman, Deborah Meaden, NHS doctor and broadcaster, Dr Amir Khan and vet and animal welfare campaigner Marc Abraham OBE.

We must end this colossal waste and build a food system that feeds people, protects animals and our planet.

Factory farming: the world’s biggest cause of food waste