16 - 17 November 2016
Saint George, Grenada

The Latin America and Caribbean region has pioneered the proposal to eradicate hunger by 2025, a goal that was adopted in 2005 under the Latin American and Caribbean Zero Hunger Initiative, and embraced unreservedly by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in 2015. The objective is to ensure that no man, woman, boy or girl goes hungry. It means redoubling our efforts and keeping our commitment to Food Security and Nutrition on the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals, where the target has been set to halve per capita food losses and waste by 2030.

In this context, it was felt that the implementation of a Regional Strategy for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Losses and Waste, developed in 2014 through the joint efforts of various stakeholders in the food production system, was the most sensible approach.

The strategy proposes the establishment of a facilitating platform for combining forces and setting common goals. Since then, some countries, supported by FAO, have set up National Committees for Food Loss and Waste Reduction, comprising members of public, private and civil society organizations. 

Currently, several Caribbean countries have been improving their capacities and technologies for reducing harvest and postharvest losses in several value chains as cassava, mango, etc. Additionally Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic have already set up their national committees, and similar processes have begun in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.

One key agreement of the Dialogue was the establishment of the Regional Alliance for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Losses and Waste, which will be coordinated through the establishment of National Committees with the technical support of FAO.

Objective

To promote the prevention of food losses and waste as a strategy to support hunger eradication, poverty and malnutrition in LAC, within the framework of Sustainable Development Objectives.

Expected goals

• National committees or inter-sectorial working groups in FLW share their experiences and progress in quantifying the FLWs, legal frameworks and changes of consumer habits.
• The preparation of an international code of conduct for prevention and reduction of FLW is promoted and validated with countries of LAC.