BACKGROUND
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 20141 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.

In September 2015, the First Regional Dialogue on Food Losses and Waste was held in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, attended by the Vice-President of the Dominican Republic, as well as authorities and representatives of 11 countries of the region. The objective of the Dialogue was to promote the reduction of food losses and waste as one of the strategies for the eradication of hunger, poverty and malnourishment in the region, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the CELAC Food Security and Nutrition Plan.

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.

During the event, a series of immediate steps were agreed, such as the need to involve public, private and civil society in the setting up and strengthening of the National and local Committees, facilitating efforts to halve per-capita food losses and waste by 2030 (the region proposes to achieve this by 2025), in accordance with the unique characteristics of each country. Likewise, the Alliance recommends that a baseline be established on the current status in order to measure the progress towards food loss and waste reduction in each country of the region. There was also agreement on support for the dissemination of knowledge, methodologies and innovation among countries, emphasizing the role of FAO in the formulation of an International Code of Conduct for Food Loss and Waste Reduction.

The participants expressed their commitment to promote the issue institutionally in existing public policies in each country, through laws, standards, regulations and public service programmes. At the close of the event, FAO reiterated its commitment to harmonize efforts, identify needs and strengthen the progress made so far through collaboration between the countries of the region.

In order to strengthen national actions under the National Committees of Food Looses and Waste (FLW), and regional actions within the Regional Alliance for Food Losses and Waste Reduction, the Region looks forward to the preparation of an International Code of Conduct for Prevention and Management of Food Losses and Waste, seeking to harmonize efforts, identify needs and visualize the progress achieved in the fight against hunger through the prevention and reduction of FLW.

In this regard, actors from different sectors in the Caribbean and Latin America are invited to participate in the Second Regional Dialogue on FLW Prevention, which aims to share experiences from ongoing activities for FLW prevention and reduction, especially those related with quantification of causes and impacts, definition of legal frameworks and promotion of more sustainable consumption habits.

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.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This second dialogue aims to convene authorities, technicians, researchers, civil society, academia, food industry and other actors linked to national committees of prevention and reduction of FLW.

METHODOLOGY
The meeting will be developed in three sessions:

• Conceptual and briefing sessions through keynote presentations in panel, on the progress and challenges of countries in terms of quantification, legal frameworks and consumption habits.
• Working groups for each of the themes of quantification, legal frameworks and consumption habits, where countries have the opportunity to express their position on the prevention and reduction of FLW.
• Plenary session to strengthen national proposals on the framework of the Alliance and validation of the International Code of Conduct.