09 May 2013, Rome - SAVE FOOD was launched in 2011 as a joint initiative between FAO and private-sector partner Messe Düsseldorf GmbH to have a shared platform for reducing food losses and waste. It works with public, private and civil society organisations to develop awareness, collaboration, knowledge and effective solutions to achieve a global change in perceptions and practices. The purpose of formalizing the cooperation between FAO and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to provide a framework for the two organizations for consultation, co-ordination and joint action to achieve the objectives of the Save Food Initiative. FAO is a source of knowledge and information. Its mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. FAO provides developing countries and countries in transition support to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, an international trade fair organizer with representatives in over 100 countries world-wide, is committed to make a contribution to the fight against global food losses and waste, encouraging the dialogue on food losses and food waste between industry, research, governments and civil society. SAVE FOOD aims at networking stakeholders in industry, policy and research, encouraging dialogue and helping to develop solutions along the food value chain. One of its aims is to enlist the support of industry in initiating and sponsoring its own SAVE FOOD projects. It is estimated that as much as one third of all food produced for human consumption — 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted every year. The losses and waste occur in different ways. In the developing world, manual labour, poor infrastructure, packaging, transport and storage deficiencies all lead to massive losses in the agricultural food supply chain. In the industrialised world, the majority of spoilage is by consumers. Vegetables are discarded on basis of cosmetic appearance and rigid date-marking regulations. Many consumers also buy too much, and then have to throw away what they do not manage to eat. Every year, consumers in industrialised countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes). Reducing food loss and waste can increase global food supply and availability, but it is only one of several actions needed. The SAVE FOOD initiative is founded on the concept of partnership to reduce food losses and waste worldwide. Building partnerships can increase the reach and impact of solutions and thus helping to increase food and nutrition security everywhere.