The International Food Waste Coalition (IFWC) is an international not-for-profit association based in Brussels. Its seven members – Ardo, McCain, PepsiCo, SCA, Sodexo, Unilever Food Solutions and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – have the largest geographical outreach in the global food service sector and share a vision of a future without food waste. IFWC aims to fight food loss and waste (FLW) throughout the food service value chain by adopting a collaborative farm-to-fork approach. The association is also convinced of the benefits of recreating the value of food along the food chain as a way of reducing FLW. Read more...

The Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction works on capacity development along the food supply chain and at the institutional level, supporting the development of evidence-based policies and strategies and investments by State and non-State actors. Knowledge is generated and disseminated to facilitate multi-actor engagement in harmonized methodologies and effective and sustainable solutions, including investments with short-, medium- and long-term returns for all agricultural and food system stakeholders, including end consumers.
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An FAO Workshop for food loss reduction strategy development in favour of smallholder producers in Africa was held. The Community of Practice on Food Loss Reduction was introduced to the participants by Mireille Totobesola, manager of the UN Rome-based Agencies joint project on food loss reduction. Harriet Muyinza, National Focal Point-Uganda of this project, the lead consultant on the maize and sunflower loss assessments Michael Otim, the FAO-UGANDA staff Stella Sengendo, and a member of the private sector involved in the IFAD VODP programme, Fred Kasango, animated a dedicated working group session. Read more...

En América Latina se pierden o desperdician hasta 348 mil toneladas de alimentos al día, cifra que tendrá que ser reducida a la mitad en los próximos catorce años si la región quiere alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, ODS, señaló hoy la FAO. El tercer boletín Pérdidas y Desperdicios de Alimentos en América Latina y el Caribe de la FAO, destaca que el ODS 12 está centrado específicamente en la necesidad de garantizar hábitos de consumo y producción sostenibles. Read more...

The FAO technical cooperation project (TCP) ‘Support to capacity development and regulatory framework for the reduction of postharvest fisheries losses’ aimed to enhance the livelihoods and working conditions of fish operators, while guaranteeing a safe and better quality smoked fish to consumer. Addressing fish postharvest losses is a key component of the project. Read more...

This food loss and waste (FLW) survey focuses on identifying gaps and challenges related to core topics in food, nutrition and agriculture. Please complete and submit your survey responses before Wednesday 6 April 2016. We look forward to hearing from you! Read more...

The European-funded food waste prevention project, FUSIONS, publishes updated food waste estimates for the EU-28 and a Food Waste Quantification Manual to support EU Member States (MS) in establishing more reliable monitoring and reporting of national food waste data at each stage in the food supply chain. This research has shown that there are still some major data gaps preventing more comprehensive and reliable assessments of food waste levels in the EU. Read more...

According to a new report, businesses could save nearly US$2 billion a year over the next decade by reducing the amounts of unfinished restaurant meals, unsold milk and other foods that are thrown into trash bins across the United States of America, by 20 percent. The report – Roadmap to reduce US food waste – lays out strategies that companies, governments, consumers and foundations can implement to reduce the amount of discarded food in the country by 13 million tonnes a year.
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Readers of food Web site The Plate are no strangers to the colossal problems of food waste and loss: the countless crates of imperfect but perfectly edible produce that are dumped on the United States–Mexico border; the massive amounts of food purchased by restaurants but never served; the meat and produce that go to waste because of a lack of proper cooling facilities in many parts of the world; and the forgotten items mouldering in countless refrigerators. Efforts to tackle this problem across the globe include these five methods of upcycling food that would otherwise be wasted. Read more...

The BBC’s Food Chain podcast delves deep into this global problem that results in the waste of one out of every three of the world’s calories. In January 2016, France became the first country to prevent supermarkets from destroying or throwing away unsold food. When it comes to waste, who is the main culprit along the food chain? And what can be done to turn the tide? Read more...

For the first time, a Latin American summit will tackle food losses and waste by encouraging traceability in supply chains and the use of sustainable food ingredients. Organized by Organic Monitor, the summit will be hosted in São Paulo, Brazil from 29 to 30 June. Read more...

Agriculture is a significant driver of Rwanda’s economy, accounting for 32 percent of gross domestic product and employing more than 70 percent of the country’s population. A major subsector is horticulture, which includes the production of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers. However Rwandan agriculture is very fragile. This report identifies challenges and solutions for enhancing horticultural production across the country. Read more...

The world’s population is expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, and demand for food will grow by 38 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2050. If the global food system is to keep up with population growth, food production has to increase and postharvest losses decrease. Postharvest losses result in additional hunger and malnutrition, which weakens the immune system of affected people and stunts child development.
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Italy is set to become the second European country to pass laws combating food waste, encouraging the donation of unsold food to charities. Currently, all shops, bars, restaurants and food companies have to declare charitable donations in advance, but the new law will replace this requirement with a monthly declaration of all donations made. Read more...

United Kingdom supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, have made a radical pledge to slash their food and drink waste by a fifth over the next decade. The promise will reduce abuses by supermarkets, according to campaigners, who say that for every 2 tonnes of food eaten in the United Kingdom, another tonne is thrown away. Read more...

The coffee-shop chain Starbucks plans to start the FoodShare programme through which it will donate to food banks the left-over, ready-to-eat food from its 7 600 stores across the United States of America. Working with the Food Donation Connection charity and the non-profit organization Feeding America, the chain aims to provide nearly 5 million meals to people who need nourishing food. Read more...

Government studies of postharvest losses in India show lower levels of postharvest losses than independent studies, causing many to question the validity of these government studies and to call for reform in national postharvest policies. Read more...