Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

I have been part of the initial discussions in the preparation of this document and I understand that the proposed outline and structure of the code of conduct are quite appropriate.

If adopted or followed by countries and different actors in the supply chain, we will make great progress in mitigating food insecurity and hunger in the world, with positive effects on environmental sustainability and climate change.

It will be a great legacy for future generations.

Congratulations to the whole team.

@ Teale Yalch

Thank you for your contribution.

The involvement of the private sector is definitely important in the fight against FLW.

Standards and methodologies for FLW measurements are fundamental: FAO has been developing a Food Loss Index while UNEP is at the moment working to establish a methodology to measure food waste.

We agree that the focus should be on the most perishable nutritious foods (fruits and vegetables, animal source proteins, etc). All the cross cutting themes you mention will be kept into consideration.

@ Moussa Na Abou Mamouda

Thank you very much for your contribution. Yes, the CoC should attract attention and at the same time suggest valuable, useful and practical guidelines.

The process to develop the CoC will be a mix of bottom up and top down approaches, as governments, policy makers and different institutions should be included in its establishment. The aim is to provide global guidelines that could be adapted to local contexts as well – therefore when possible keeping local culture and economic/political conditions into account.

Guidelines will be suggested for each step of the food supply chain. We are also planning to launch regional meetings and webinars to involve as many actors as possible and receive feedbacks and contributions.

Thank you for providing a very practical and useful example from Niger!

Here is a selection of titles proposed by FAO Publications for forum participants who would like to read more on food loss and waste.

FOOD LOSS AND WASTE AND THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD: MAKING THE CONNECTION

This publication focuses on the need to develop sustainable global consumption and production systems to help realize the right to adequate food, while arguing for a human rights-based approach to tackle food loss and waste.

GENDER AND FOOD LOSS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD VALUE CHAINS: A GUIDING NOTE

This guidance note on integrating gender concerns into food loss responses proposes an approach that consists of value-chain mapping, identification of constraints and solutions, and social risk assessment.

HOW ACCESS TO ENERGY CAN INFLUENCE FOOD LOSSES: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

This report identifies the main stages of the food value chain where increasing access to energy can play a dominant role in reducing food losses directly (by making food processing possible) as well as indirectly (by influencing the rate at which cooling technologies are adopted).

SAVE FOOD FOR A BETTER CLIMATE: CONVERTING THE FOOD LOSS AND WASTE CHALLENGE INTO CLIMATE ACTION

This paper identifies ways and enabling factors to reduce food loss and waste as part of the collective effort to enhance ambition for climate action while simultaneously delivering the other objectives of the sustainable development agenda.

Further reading

GLOBAL INITIATIVE ON FOOD LOSS AND WASTE

FOOD LOSSES AND WASTE IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS − A REPORT BY THE HIGH LEVEL PANEL OF EXPERTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

FOOD LOSS ANALYSIS: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS − THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA: BEANS, MAIZE, AND SUNFLOWER STUDIES

OECD−FAO GUIDANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY CHAINS

CASE STUDIES ON MANAGING QUALITY, ASSURING SAFETY AND REDUCING POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SUPPLY CHAINS IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES

DEVELOPING GENDER-SENSITIVE VALUE CHAINS − GUIDELINES FOR PRACTITIONERS

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AREAS: STATUS REPORT

WATER FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

FAO: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

Hello,

Thank you for sharing the Draft Outline for the CoC on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. I think it looks like a great outline. Below I’ve added a few comments and suggestions for your consideration.

• While the ultimate objective for policy makers and development organizations may be promoting food security, this might not be enough incentive for private sector businesses that work along the supply chain and can contribute greatly to the reduction of FLW. It will be important to incentivize these stakeholders by highlighting how reducing FLW can improve their profitability.
• Under 1.4; Bulletpoint B – establishing guidelines for measuring FLW will also be important. There’s still a huge gap in data for FLW along supply chain, particularly for nutritious perishable foods in developing countries.
• While the code is meant to be used more globally, will it be accompanied by guidance documents that will provide guidance for stakeholders on how to actually abide by the code in a specific country, industry and/or commodity? These are often the most helpful documents for actually implementing the code.
• Under 2.1 – If the objective is to improve the supply of “healthy food”, it will be important to emphasize the need to focus on perishable nutritious foods (fruits and vegetables, animal source proteins, etc) and to integrate food safety practices (which are often linked to PHL reduction practices) where ever possible.
• Under 2.2.1 –
  • Improving access to market information to ensure farmers respond appropriately to consumer demand.
  • Review of state policies that may prohibit or reduce access to equipment that could help businesses reduce loss (e.g. cold chain or processing equipment)
  • Biofuel is also a repurposing option for some foods
• Under cross cutting theme, suggest including: Climate change, food safety, improving the availability and affordability of nutritious foods

Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Teale

Teale Yalch

Programme Lead

Postharvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition

Marketplace For Nutritious Foods (Interim)

1) With respect to the proposed outline and structure of the CoC:

· a) Does the proposed outline of the CoC address the issues in an exhaustive and comprehensive way?

The outline should be comprehensive enough to capture the attention of any reader from the first sentence. It has to give the rational behind the development of internationally agreed and locally adaptable CoC.

· b) Are there any particular issues and aspects of importance that you think are not be addressed in the proposed structure?

The proposed structure should recall the problem, its seriousness and observed social and economic consequences all in terms of numbers. The outline should include what-if situations with regard to FLW

· c) Are there any disadvantages or gaps you see in the current structure

The process leading to the CoC should be bottom up and not top down as it seems to be the case in your proposed structure. Instead of starting from the global level (your level), why not staring from the grassroots and then informing the global level? There may be a cultural issues and gaps to be addressed when talking about FLW since the problem is perceived differently across cultures and level of welfare.

2) With respect to the content of the different sections of the CoC:

· a) What are the general guiding principles that you think are important for section 2.1?

Is it possible and useful to set up guiding principles for each of the various steps of the supply chain?

· b) What are the specific guiding principles and practices do you think are important for sections 2.2.1(a, b& c), 2.2.2 and 2.2.3?

The best specificity of the guiding principles should be culturally sensitive and as such, should be defined locally according to the realities of the context.

· c) Taking into account the need to foster FLW policy coherence, which cross-cutting issues are relevant to the FLW topic, as addressed in section 2.2.4?

Sound legislations are required to locally address the issues of FLW. Involvement of parliamentarians in setting up adequate laws is key for success.

3) Can you provide specific examples of policies, interventions, initiatives, alliances and institutional arrangements which should be considered as best practices in FLW prevention, reduction, food recovery, repurposing and recycling?

In Niger, the government is encouraging the creation of agro food enterprises and it appears that most of these enterprises are directly or indirectly using dried foods as a way for adding value on foods especially cereals and fruits and vegetables produced in huge quantities during harvest periods but very rare just few months after. In order to adopt drying as measure against FLW, one major challenge to addressed is related to the availability of adequate and affordable equipment as well as human resources for providing trainings to users. In collaboration with Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, ENDA Energy is setting the scene for locally designed dryers. See our recent publications on the issueshttps://www.scirp.org/Journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=92849

http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=169&d…

4) How could this Code of Conduct on FLW prevention and reduction be most useful for different stakeholders, especially at national and regional levels?

The CoC would be most useful if fully communicated and owed by all stakeholders. This could be done through consultations in which all voices could be heard.

@ Lisa Kitinoja

Thank you for your contribution! FLW reduction and prevention do imply costs for countries and stakeholders along the food supply chain and we agree that a costs/benefits analysis should be carried out before deciding which measures should be implemented.

In theory, actors in the food supply chain should take rational decisions regarding the level of food loss and waste they can tolerate.

@ Christian Ciza

Thank you for your contribution! Yes, consumers’ awareness on FLW should be raised and concrete tips on how to reduce food waste should be provided. Domestic animal feed could also be taken into consideration, but in developed countries only an extremely limited number of households may have chickens and porks to feed.

@ Zoltan Kalman

Thank you for your contribution!

Yes, we intend to mention the major drivers of FLW and definitely the price of food is central for the generation of food waste at consumers’ level. Food is available and often very cheap and this leads to a de-valuation of food and to many important questions regarding its nutrients. FLW have indeed economic, environmental, social, nutritional and moral implications.

We agree that when, analyzing FLW, we should use a food system approach that takes into consideration technical and economic feasibility, food quality and safety requirements, social acceptability and environmental sustainability.

@ Fidelis Eyoh Ukume

Thank you very much for your contribution. Yes, we are going to include best practices promoted by countries to reduce FLW, so any contributions provided by this e-consultation in this sense is more than welcome.  Redistribution of safe and nutritious food among countries is an option, but economic and environmental sustainability should be also taken into account when implementing such an action. The most preferable option would be to redistribute food without involving long and extensive transportation (that also requires energy consuming cold chains to keep the food safe and air mileages).

@ Selina Juul

Dear Selina, we will definitely keep your comment into consideration. Prevention is in general the best preferred option and we agree that it should happen before reduction.

The topic of FLW is in general a very complex issue which touches upon production and distribution mechanisms, but also has implications on food safety, food quality, food preservation, etc…

We agree with you that the root causes of FLW should be identified and addressed and that food donation and redistribution poses a number of questions regarding the structure of the food system in general.

Re: 

b) Are there any particular issues and aspects of importance that you think are not be addressed in the proposed structure?

c) Are there any disadvantages or gaps you see in the current structure

I think the outline needs more emphasis on the costs and benefits, since the economics in each nation or region, or food crop/product will determine what is possible in terms of options for reducing and preventing FLW.  It may be necessary for each nation to assess the various options in terms of economic feasibility as a first step. 

Dr. Lisa Kitinoja 

The Postharvest Education Foundation