1 - 30 October 2015

Approximately 1.3-1.6 Gtonnes of food is lost or wasted globally every year, which is estimated to have enormous environmental (ca 3.3 Gtonnes of CO₂ eq. greenhouse gas emission/year, 305 cubic km water/year, 1.5 billion ha land to grow food that is wasted), social (936 billion US$) and economic (1055 billion US$) costs. Also the food loss and waste has an impact on food security, natural resource availability,  and local and national economies. FAO through the “Save Food” initiative is working with partners to develop, plan and implement initiatives for efficient use of resources and harmonization of methodologies, strategies and approaches. Globally many plant resources are being used either as food or as animal feed. This dual purpose use raises questions how to consider a change of utilization of plant resources from food to animal feed within the context of food losses and waste. Similarly if food gets lost or wasted a part of these losses can be converted to animal feed.

FAO is in the process of developing a framework and an action plan on ‘Food Loss and Waste plus Non-Food Part to Livestock Feed’ with the objective to develop criteria for setting the boundaries between dual purpose use and food loss, and to enhance animal feed availability without compromising animal health and welfare and animal product safety and quality, and meeting legislative requirements.

The aim of the e-conference is to seek guidance on:

a) the aims, scope and boundaries of the framework;
b) implementation of the framework, and
c) role of different stakeholders, from academia, feed and food industries, civil societies, policy makers, extension workers to farmers in the implementation.

Messages received during the FAO E-conference on
'Utilization of Food Loss and Waste as well as Non-Food Parts as Livestock Feed'

• Leading questions and messages, first week (PDF)
• Leading questions and messages, second week (PDF)
• Leading questions and messages, third week (PDF)
• Leading questions and messages, fourth week (PDF)
• Week Discussion Summaries (PDF)
  

Further information

• Background Discussion Document (PDF)
• Summary Document of the FAO e-mail conference “Utilization of food loss and waste as well as non-food parts as livestock feed”