Food Loss and Waste in Turkey: A Conceptual Framework and a Reassessment of Current Economic Impacts

Murat GÜNER

doi:https://doi.org/10.54497/neugastro.2026.22

Murat GÜNER

Year : 2026
Vol : 5
Issue : 1
Page : 1-13

DOI : https://doi.org/10.54497/neugastro.2026.22

As data from after 2019 had limitations in terms of scope, level of detail, and comparability, an inflation adjustment was applied to relate the economic data from 2019 to current conditions to maintain data consistency and methodological robustness in the analyses. The research concluded that bread waste is one of the most visible areas in the public eye; however, it also determined that losses arising from production, transport, storage, and marketing processes within the fruit and vegetable supply chain play a significant role. Similarly, factors such as menu planning, portion control, stock management, and consumer behaviour are considered to influence the level of food waste in the food and beverage sector. According to 2019 data, the annual average food waste in Turkey of 18.8 million tonnes (18,800,000 tonnes) is estimated to have an economic value of 214 billion TL (214,000,000,000 TL), whilst this figure corresponds to 4.9% of the country’s GDP and 21.4% of government budget expenditure for the same year. Although the economic data is based on 2019 figures, when adjusted for current economic conditions, the economic cost of food waste—calculated at approximately 214 billion TL—reaches approximately 1.7 trillion TL (1.707.035.356.425 TL) at 2025 price levels. Considering that Turkey’s GDP at current prices for 2025 is approximately 63 trillion TL (63,020,906,000,000 TL) and central government budget expenditure is approximately 14.6 trillion TL (14,634,600,000,000 TL), this amount corresponds to 2.7% of GDP and 11.7% of budget expenditure.

Cite this Article As : Güner, M. (2026). Türkiye’de gıda kaybı ve israfının kavramsal, ekonomik ve yönetsel boyutlarının doküman analizi ile incelenmesi. NEUGastro, 5(1), 1-13.

Description : Yazarların hiçbiri, bu makalede bahsedilen herhangi bir ürün, aygıt veya ilaç ile ilgili maddi çıkar ilişkisine sahip değildir. Araştırma, herhangi bir dış organizasyon tarafından desteklenmedi.Yazarlar çalışmanın birincil verilerine tam erişim izni vermek ve derginin talep ettiği takdirde verileri incelemesine izin vermeyi kabul etmektedirler. None of the authors, any product mentioned in this article, does not have a material interest in the device or drug. Research, not supported by any external organization. grant full access to the primary data and, if requested by the magazine they agree to allow the examination of data.

Food Loss and Waste in Turkey: A Conceptual Framework and a Reassessment of Current Economic Impacts, Research Article,
2026, Vol. 5 (1)

Received : 04.03.2026, Accepted : 14.05.2026 , Published Online : 26.06.2026