Jorge M. Fonseca – Dec. 18, 2013

Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division

Targeting Food Losses

and Waste Reduction

Ideas for Investments

870 million people in hunger

9.1 billion to be fed in 2050

2 billion without adequate nutrients

1.3 billion tons are wasted About 1/3 never reaches end of supply chain in developing countries – 1/3 of all food is

discarded by end user in developed countries

“Zero Hunger Challenge”

Deficit/Challenges- Missed opportunity- Response

Commissioned FAO work attracted

worldwide attention

Food losses and waste by world region

Global Initiative on Food Losses and

Waste Reduction

The basic pillars of Save Food

1 Awareness raising on the impact of, and solutions for food loss and waste.

2 Collaboration and coordination of world-wide initiatives on food loss and waste reduction.

3 Support to investment programmes and

projects, implemented by private and public sectors.

4 Policy, strategy and programme development for food loss and waste reduction.

SAVE FOOD

currently has

170 registered

partners

worldwide,

including public,

private, large

and small size

institutions/busi

nesses

Private sector opting for sustainability, but

more support is needed to combat global

food losses and waste

Lack of cold chain

capacity results in

food losses

Needs for investment:

• More information on cold

capacity - Central Asia, Africa -

• Improvement or development

of cold chains – across the

developing world-

Country

Persons/m3 cold

chain capacity

USA 2.9

Germany 3.7

Chile 4.2

Spain 5.7

South Korea 7.0

France 7.7

Panama 7.7

Russia 8.6

India 11.3

Greece 12.0

Costa Rica 13.1

Portugal 13.5

Guatemala 18.4

El Salvador 26.4

Mexico 27.9

Brazil 35.6

Peru 69.6

Venezuela 79.0

Argentina 83.5

China 89.1

South Africa 111.4

Colombia 497.0

Source: Fonseca & Njie, 2013

Estimated 2010 population

density per cubic meter of cold

chain capacity in selected countries

Logistics Systems Appraisals: findings and

recommendations in many areas

Needs for improvement in LAC and SSA regions are urgent in:

• Infrastructure and

transportation

• Information and

communication technology

• Human capital & logistic

management

• Postharvest systems

• Policy framework

Umbrella program of SAVE FOOD:

Support must be tailored to target Food Losses

• More information needed

on «hot spots» where the

highest impact for

reduction can be made

• Training can play a mayor

role; significant benefits

from P/P partnerships

• Different crops present

different challenges; also

location

Food Waste

• Awareness may play an

important factor

• Policies to promote

donations (e.g. reduction

of liability and tax

benefits) appear to help

• Regulation of labeling;

support to sustainable

«life cycle of food» can

add to effort