The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations calls for 'open-minded' solutions to the global problem of food loss and waste (FLW). Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General, urged international stakeholders to help develop ways to reduce FLW.
"We cannot end hunger and all forms of malnutrition if we do not address the high levels of food loss and waste," Qu told attendees of an international virtual conference on FLW held in Jinan, China, According to FAO, FLW occurs across the supply chain, from tillage to the table. Around 14% of all food produced is lost between the post-harvest and retail stages. Another 17% is further wasted at the retail, foodservice and consumer levels.
"These high levels of food loss and waste, valued at US$400 billion annually, could feed around 1.26 billion more people per year," Qu said. FAO's latest estimates point to up to 811 million undernourished people globally and billions unable to afford a healthy diet. What’s more, FLW generates around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses a quarter of the freshwater used by agriculture each year.
Qu said effectively tackling the problem - and producing more with less requires commitment, collaboration, partnerships, and increased support from all stakeholders. Also critical is a solid, scientific, and evidence-based understanding of the root causes of food loss and waste. (Image from Pixabay)
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