Initiative against global food losses gets ready to launch

At an international congress and exhibition on the subject of SAVE FOOD in May of this year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH aim to pool their international resources and discuss the problem of food losses and possible solutions with experts from industry, politics and society.

This longer-term initiative is based on three country studies by the FAO, the results of which will be presented to the public for the first time at the congress in Düsseldorf.

The focus of the international congress on 16 and 17 May 2011 will be the subjects of food, packaging and sustainability.

SAVE FOOD highlights the extent of, and reasons for, global food losses and intends to show, among other things, the contribution that the type of packaging can make towards safeguarding foods. To this end, the congress is bringing together stakeholders from the food and packaging industries, retail, politics, administration, research and NGOs in Düsseldorf.

Within the framework of the congress, the FAO will be presenting three new studies founded on surveys currently being conducted in developed, developing and transition countries. One study investigates the reasons for and extent of food losses in developed countries and estimates the degree to which the type of packaging can remedy the problem.

Another study is concerned with the same subject in less developed countries. The third study aims to quantify the investment that is needed to ensure an adequate supply of food packages locally in these countries.

"Worldwide food losses are estimated to range from 20 to 75%, depending on the type of food. The total quantity could be as high as 1.2 billion tons. In developed and industrialised countries the food loss is about 300 kg per capita per year, which is mostly wasted at consumer level. Therefore, awareness raising and behavioural change is highly necessary,” says Robert van Otterdijk, FAO Officer for SAVE FOOD, explaining the initiative, “Between now and 2050 the world population is expected to grow by 50% to 9 billion. All of this growth will be urban, and most of it in developing countries. Now in those countries most food losses occur at production level, as a result of underdeveloped production, conservation, packaging and marketing practices as well as inadequate storage, transport and other
infrastructure facilities. Economic development and investment are needed to improve the situation and get the food from the farmer to the cities."

In the course of two days at the SAVE FOOD congress, experts from all regions of the world will refer to the results of the FAO studies and discuss such subjects as the global food supply, supply security, urbanisation, food development and marketing, logistics and agriculture. The program encompasses key notes, debates, panel discussions and best practice presentations. Van Otterdijk explains, “We have to seek possible solutions along the entire food value chain - from farm to fork - and with as much attentiveness as possible.”