Please find enclosed our submission to FAO’s recent Call for best practices in transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets and addressing key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition.
The European Food Banks Federation represents 430 food banks in 29 European countries which recover surplus food from food business operators and redistribute it to charities helping people in need. The daily activity contributes to a sustainable future food system as well as a food secure community.
Dear FAO’s Food Systems Programme,
thank you for sharing the Draft Outline for the CoC on Food Loss and Waste Prevention and giving us the opportunity to contribute to this on-going work.
We would like to share three main points:
1) First of all, we believe that it is essential to structure the document with a clear distrinction between food loss and food waste.
2) Then it is crucial to consider that et European level there are many initiatives on Food Loss and Waste Prevention that should be taken into consideration in order to avoid any duplication and building on exisiting experience and expertise (e.g. EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste, EU guidelines on food donation, European and national legislation, etc.). Moreover the EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste coordinated by the DG Health and Food Safety, European Commission is drafting key reccommendation for future actions preventing food losses and waste.
3) Finally, we agree with the approach to follow the food and drink waste hierarchy, however it is important to consider that this is a document providing general principles and practices. If the document goes into too much detail it may lose its added value and overall view. Moreover, food redistribution should be considered as an activity which takes place whithin the food supply chain (agricultural, processing, distribution, and food service sectors) and not as a separate initiative.
We are at your disposal for any furthe rinformation.
Best regards,
Angela Frigo
Ms. Angela Frigo
Recognising the effort invested in preparing the comprehensive report, the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) takes the opportunity of the request for feedback to share the following comments and thoughts:
- In the sub-chapter on Food retail environment planning and governance (p. 107), the aspect of food donation should be considered not only as an environmentally sensitive, business-friendly, and socially responsible alternative but also as a relevant driver to foster food security.
- Related to this, in the section on Transformative action: a holistic approach to climate and sustainability (p. 119f), any reference to the importance of reducing global food loss and waste quantities, and therewith their impact on climate change due to occurring GHG emissions, when envisaging sustainable food systems is missing.
- Taking into account the aspects above, the relevance of Food Banks' activities, especially the recovery and redistribution of perfectly edible surplus food occurring at all stages of the food supply chain, should be mentioned as an effective means to reduce food insecurity while preventing food waste.
Please find attached the full contribution of the European Food Banks Federation.