The objectives of the Briefing were to raise awareness of the causes and impact of food losses and waste in low, medium and high-income countries, increase an exchange of information and expertise relating to strategies and successes in preventing and reducing them and to facilitate networking amongst development partners working in these areas.
Speakers included research, policy makers, food industry, farmer’s organizations.
Panel 1: Causes and extent of food losses
Food is lost or
wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production down
to final household consumption. This panel discussed the main causes of food
losses and what impact they have on food security, food quality and safety, economic
development and the environment.
Panellists:
- Food losses, food waste: a global perspective: Mr Divine Njie or Mr Gavin Wall, Director Agro-Industries Division, FAO
- Why do we throw away vast amounts of food and what to do about it? Tristram Stuart, Writer and activist, United Kingdom
- Overview of the Grain Postharvest Losses of Smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa: Dr John Orchard, Director of Research, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich
- Building successful business partnerships to reduce waste: Dr Richard Swannell, Director of Design & Waste Prevention, Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), United kingdom
Panel 2:
Strategies to prevent and reduce food waste
This
panel discussed possible ways of preventing food losses and waste and the necessary
policy frameworks. It will also share practical cases on how to avoid and
minimize food waste.
Panellists:
- Preventing food wastage and optimizing the use of agrofood materials: towards an European approach: Toine Timmermans, Programme Manager Sustainable Food Chains, WUR
- Transforming Food Waste into a Resource Andrea Segrè, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Bologna, President of Last Minute Market, Italy; and Silvia Gaiani, Research Fellow, University of Bologna
- Addressing Post-harvest losses: perspectives from the farmers Onya Akonopeesa, Farmer Leader and Board Member of Uganda National Farmers Federation
- What solutions are there for losses in the horticulture sector? Stephen Mbithi, Chief Executive Officer, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK) and Coordinating CEO of the Horticulture Council of Africa (HCA)
- Excused: Growing oyster mushrooms on the remains of the coffee harvest: Jan Willem Bosman, Green Recycled Organics (GRO), The Netherlands
Selected resources "Waste shows how the way we live now has created a global food crisis - and what we can do to fix it". This and other statements come fromTristam Stuart, author of "Waste. Uncovering the Global Food Scandal", and an active campaigner.
Tristam Stuart, 'Waste. Uncovering the Global Food Scandal' from CTA on Vimeo.
John Orchard, Director of Research, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich.
John Orchard, Director of Research, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich from CTA on Vimeo.
Oliver Leo, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.Oliver Leo, Joint Research Centre, European Commission from CTA on Vimeo.