Food Price Forum is moderated by the FAO Sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa, in collaboration with the Policy Assistance Support Service
Dear Colleagues,
I am referring to the e-mail exchange regarding food losses and food waste – herewith attached. I would like to inform you about the FAO HQ activities on food losses and food waste
for the 2012-13 biennium.
The issue of food losses and waste is of high importance for FAO in its efforts to combat hunger, raise income and improve food security worldwide. Food losses take place at production,
post-harvest, processing and distribution stages in the food supply chain. Food losses occurring at the end of the food supply chain are rather called food waste, as it basically relates to the behaviour of retailers and consumers. We are aware of the Food
Banks system and its contribution to find alternative destinations for safe and nutritious food products that otherwise would be wasted.
There is the need for cooperation and partnership at all levels and across both food losses and food waste as they both have to be tackled. These efforts clearly need to be scaled
up to include more companies and more international and regional organizations.
In 2011 FAO established the Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction ‘Save Food’ (Organizational Output A01G208) under the responsibility of the Rural Infrastructure
and Agro-Industries Division. For its implementation FAO has instituted the inter-divisional ‘Working Group on Food Losses’. The Working Group has members from the following Divisions: Rural Infrastructure and Agro-industries (AGS), Nutrition and Consumer Protection
(AGN), Plant Production and Protection (AGP), Animal Production and Health (AGA), Fisheries and Aquaculture Products, Trade and Marketing (FIPM).
The priority action areas include: detailed food loss assessments and solution finding, focused on selected food supply chains in developing regions; study to the effect of food waste
on food prices and policy briefings related to food price volatility; a study on date marking - regulatory aspects and impact on food waste; world-wide awareness creation on food losses and waste; regional Save Food conferences.
Regards,
Camelia Bucatariu