The Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction – SAVE FOOD has reached a significant milestone in its work to develop partnerships for sustainable food systems. As of 1 February, 2018, more than one thousand organisations, spanning the public and private sectors, academia and social enterprises, have signaled their desire to construct a new paradigm in global food security and energy sustainability through the reduction of food loss and waste, by joining the network.

On the Agenda in 2018

SAVE Food continues to target and support groups and individuals most willing and capable of impacting food losses and waste at the local, regional and global levels. Through joint or bilateral partnerships with SAVE FOOD's three main implementers – the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Messe Düsseldorf and the United Nations Environment Programme – numerous studies, project activities and advocacy programmes designed to the stem the problem of food loss and waste have been implemented with stakeholders across the globe.

To support the most vulnerable groups and individuals within agro-food industries and systems, and in an effort to support countries in attaining Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, FAO, through SAVE FOOD, continues to support member countries to stem the problem of food losses. SDG 12.3 calls on all actors to "by 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses". Using the FAO Food Loss Analysis Methodology, more than 88 case studies have been conducted to ascertain the critical loss points (point along the supply chain facing the most severe level of losses) and their underlying causes in value chains across 28 countries throughout Asia and Africa over the past three years. An analytical report of the findings of these assessments will be published during the second quarter of 2018.

In 2018, SAVE FOOD will continue to develop individual and institutional capacities within member countries, to conduct food loss analyses through the implementation of regional training of trainer programmes. In forthcoming months, SAVE FOOD will launch an education package to address food waste reduction in schools. A pilot of these materials with schools in Britain, France and Italy over 50 days resulted in a 12-15 percent reduction in food waste among participating students. The preliminary results of the study underscore the potential impact of integrating food waste reduction and food systems education in school curricular.

A recent SAVE Food publication titled SAVE FOOD for a Better Climate - Converting the Food Loss and Waste Challenge into Climate Action highlights the linkages between food loss and waste and the environment. Launched during the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23), the publication examines the linkages between reduced yields and climate variability. As a significant driver of global warming, food waste is at the very source of climate instability and ultimate food loss faced by many smallholder agricultural and animal-dependent households.