Social and gender equity

Wealth, poverty, cultural and social norms and attitudes can all influence food loss and waste (FLW) and solutions. 

Many fish value chain stakeholders in developing countries are women. They often work in environments that lack the services and infrastructure that enable them to invest in and implement best practices. Often, specific, targeted gender focused interventions are required for this. Other vulnerable groups in fisheries value chains that may be affected by or influence FLW include the poor, the youth, and the older people.

Social innovations targeted at marginalized groups can be combined with technical interventions. Particularly as technical solutions on their own can be linked to non-use/lack of adoption, misuse, or lack of access to technologies. This can be partly due to the complex social settings within which FLW occur. Social innovation, such as gender transformation, is an example of an approach that can be combined with technology solutions. Additionally, Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an inclusive approach to testing and developing solutions.   

Social solutions also include initiatives associated with the recovery and redistribution of food. Recovery of safe and nutritious food for human consumption is to receive, with or without payment, food (processed, semi-processed, or raw) which would otherwise be discarded or wasted from the agricultural, livestock, forestry, and fisheries supply chains of the food system. Redistribution of safe and nutritious food for human consumption is to store or process and then distribute the received food pursuant to appropriate safety, quality, and regulatory frameworks directly or through intermediaries, and with or without payment, to those having access to it for food intake. 

Current forms of recovery and redistribution of safe and nutritious food involve a variety of stakeholders in a diverse mix of initiatives, such as: gleaning networks, food banks (warehouse, direct service, virtual, mixed form), social supermarkets and community shops, food pantries, soup kitchens and community/charitable programs, shelters, mixed form of social protection programs that provides food, directly or indirectly, among other services.