Food loss and waste reduction, measurement and policy
Food loss and waste reduction should be seen as a means towards achieving other objectives, including improving food security and nutrition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering pressure on water and land resources, which contribute towards increased productivity and economic growth. The formulation of effective policies to achieve food loss and waste reduction requires comprehensive information as to how much and where – both geographically and along the supply chain – various foods are lost or wasted. The work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on measurement, and its support to countries in taking action to reduce food loss and waste, is critical in tracking progress made by countries.
Latest news
UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment |Food systems transformation a critical SDGs accelerator
03/02/2023
On behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of...
Hanoi (Vietnam)
Event
The Transformation We Need | 4th global conference of the Sustainable Food Systems Programme
24/04/2023 - 27/04/2023
Contributing to the 2023 Stock-Taking Moment of the UN FSS follow-up process, this conference will look at how food systems need to be transformed to...
New in this website
Food Is Never Waste Coalition
Launched at the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021 to take forward the Agenda 2030 toward achieving SDG 12.3.
This new website section allows you to access all information and updates related to the activities of the Coalition.
Community of Practice (CoP) on food loss reduction
As a member of the Community of Practice on food loss and waste reduction you will be able to access the Forum, participate in online discussions, get in touch with other practitioners, share and request relevant and updated information, contribute to building a worldwide community that aims to reduce food losses and achieve food security.
Stories
Eight actions we can all take to save water
22/03/2023
Reduce your food waste. It takes a lot of water to produce food and to get it from the field to our plate. Lost and wasted food also means wasted water. Water is vital to us all, so everyone needs to act. Every drop counts and your actions, big or small, can make a difference.
Play VideoPublications
Voluntary Code of Conduct for Food Loss and Waste Reduction
20/07/2022
Following the request of the 26th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), FAO has developed the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Food Loss and Waste Reduction (CoC). The document was submitted to the FAO Conference for consideration and endorsement, and approved on 15 June 2021.
The State of Food and Agriculture 2019
31/10/2019
A shorter version of the FAO flagship publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2019, it contains the key messages and main points from the publication and is aimed at the media, policy makers and a more general public.
Mitigating risks to food systems during COVID-19: Reducing food loss and waste
08/12/2020
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, generating significant challenges that could result in risks to food security and nutrition in many countries. Countries are ordering lockdowns, restricting movement and observing physical distancing to curb the pandemic.
Food Waste Index Report 2021
22/04/2021
The Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3. It does so by presenting the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste.