©FAO/ Aydan Özkil

Representatives from private sector, civil society, academia and business associations gathered for second time in Ankara to discuss the causes of food waste and possible solutions to stem the issue, being a part of the “SAVE YOUR FOOD” campaign.   

The workshop was organized by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey in the context of the “SAVE YOUR FOOD” campaign, which was launched under the umbrella of FAO’s SAVE FOOD Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. The campaign aims to increase awareness about the issue, manifest Turkey’s commitment to end food loss and waste and to reinstate the Technical Platform on the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste. 

In his opening speech, Viorel Gutu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and Representative in Turkey, emphasized that one of the main reasons for food loss and waste in the country was lack of awareness among producers and consumers – the cause that the campaign is designed to address. Mr. Gutu added, “It is important that we engage and work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders to tackle loss and waste throughout the food chain. Today we have an opportunity to look for solutions together and take a joint action.”

The workshop participants represented all sectors of Turkey’s food system, including public sector, non-government organizations, the industry, academic institutions and civil society; they discussed the context-specific causes and impact of food loss and waste and shared their views concerning the measures needed to prevent and combat the issue. In particular, the participants from the private sector advocated for reviewing food packaging and labeling regulation and educating consumers on date marking, and the civil society representatives brought attention to the social aspect of food loss and waste.

Ahmet Volkan Güngören, Deputy Director General for EU and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, reaffirmed that fighting food loss and waste problem remained one of the Ministry’s priorities. “We aim to formulate a comprehensive national strategy on food loss and waste reduction, incorporating the outcomes of the two workshops organized in partnership with FAO”, said Mr. Güngören.

Robert Van Otterdijk, Agroindustry Officer and Leader of FAO’s SAVE FOOD Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction in Europe and Central Asia, informed the participants about mandate of the Initiative and said that the workshop provided valuable insights into the problems that countries in Central Asia face in fighting against food loss and waste. These would be useful when planning and delivering interventions in the region and in Turkey in particular, Van Otterdijk added.  

The first workshop was held in February 2019, with the participation of 81 Provincial Directors, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey and specialists of FAO Subregional Office.

4 April 2019, Ankara, Turkey