China hosts global Capacity Building Workshop on Food Loss and Waste Reduction through FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation

Critical Challenge for Global Agrifood Systems

The scale of the challenge is significant. According to the latest FAO and UNEP estimates, 13% of food is lost between harvest and retail, while a further 20% of all food available to consumers is wasted.

“Food loss and waste represent a huge, missed opportunity. We must act faster, with stronger partnerships across every link of the food chain. South-South Cooperation provides a dynamic pathway for countries to co-create solutions,” said Carlos Aldeco, FAO Representative in China, during the opening ceremony

Divine Nganje Njie, Deputy Director of FAO’s Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), and Lin Huifang, Deputy Director General of FECC, MARA, also delivered opening remarks. They emphasized that reducing FLW is critical not only for global food security but also for building more efficient and sustainable agrifood systems.

Knowledge sharing and capacity building through South-South Cooperation

For years, the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme has served as a model for international collaboration, facilitating exchanges of expertise and resources to address common challenges.

“This workshop leverages China’s extensive experience and technological innovations in post-harvest management to support other developing nations,” said Lin Huifang. “It is a concrete step towards translating global commitments into national and local action.” he added.

Field visits to demonstrate technologies and practices in action

The last days of the workshop will feature field visits to iconic sites in Beijing and Jinan, Shandong Province. Participants will observe demonstrations of advanced post-harvest processing and storage technologies, at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

A visit to the Jinan smart agriculture demonstration zone will showcase how digital tools and integrated practices are being deployed to enhance efficiency and minimize waste across the supply chain.

These field visits are a core component of the training, allowing representatives to observe sustainable practices firsthand and explore practical applications of technologies and policies to address modern challenges in their home countries.

The workshop is expected to strengthen participants’ knowledge and skills, foster lasting partnerships between China and other developing countries, and generate actionable recommendations for scaling up national and regional strategies on FLW reduction.

By leveraging China’s experience and innovations through South-South cooperation, this workshop contributes to FAO’s vision of better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life – leaving no one behind.