Food Loss and Waste
Food is Never Waste Coalition
Launched by a group of partners at the UN Food Systems Summit
The Magnitude of the Food Loss and Waste Problem
Around 14 percent of the world's food valued at $400 billion per year continues to be lost in the supply chain after it is harvested and before it reaches retail, while a further 17 percent - approximately 931 million tonnes of food - ends up being wasted in retail and by consumers. Much of this food waste takes place in households.
Food loss and waste (FLW) implies unnecessary pressure on the environment and the natural resources used to produce it in the first place. It essentially means that land and water resources have been wasted, pollution created, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted to no purpose.
The Food is Never Waste Coalition was launched at the Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome, in 2021, to take forward the Agenda 2030 to accelerate the pace of reducing food loss and waste, following the Food Systems Summit 2021, toward achieving SDG 12.3.
Toward that end, and through its initiatives to achieve SDG target 12.3, the Coalition seeks to:
- Halve food waste by 2030 and to reduce food losses by at least 25%
- Create more sustainable and resilient food systems that seek to ensure food loss and waste are minimized
- Build and strengthen collaboration throughout food systems, between member states and organisations to ensure learning and sharing of best practice
- Promote investment in food loss and waste reduction
"SDG target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels
and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses."
# 123 Pledge to Reduce Food Loss and Waste: the first Initiative of the Coalition
The #123 Pledge, launched during CoP27, is the first initiative of the Coalition. The ‘123 Pledge’ is coordinated by Champions 12.3, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It is also supported by WRAP, WWF, and Rabobank.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pleased to invite governments, companies, institutions and individuals to pledge to align their action agendas to halve food waste by 2030 and reduce food losses by at least 25 percent, toward accelerating actions to achieve SDG target 12.3.
Why is the Pledge Important?
“With the damaging effects climate change has on food security and nutrition, and the negative effects of agrifood systems on climate change and the environment across the world, now is the moment for decisive action to transform how our agrifood systems operate and reduce food loss and waste, providing benefits from both a mitigation and adaptation angle to assure better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life” said Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist of FAO. “Commitment from all stakeholders – from governments, private sector companies, small producers, and civil society to consumers – will be required if we are to make a dent in the issue of FLW and achieve the aspirations of the 2030 Agenda. This is the importance of the #123Pledge and the collaborative efforts championed by the Food Is Never Waste Coalition".
“Food loss and waste drives up to 10% of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, yet just a handful of countries mention it in their national climate plans. None of the world’s biggest emitters are on that list,” said Liz Goodwin, Senior Fellow and Director of Food Loss and Waste at World Resources Institute, which serves as secretariat of Champions 12.3. “Despite some real bright spots, the world is woefully behind where it needs to be. Without real action to halve food loss and waste, it will be very difficult to solve the climate crisis.”
“Halfway towards 2030, now is the time to act globally. Countries with long track records of measuring and cutting food loss and waste should support countries getting started on this journey. Companies should be mainstreaming best practices throughout their operations worldwide. And every one of us can act now, at home and at work” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Economy Division at UNEP. “Every day, every plate counts.”
TARGETS of the #123 Pledge
One hundred twenty-three #123 Pledges from governments, companies and institutions in one of the five impact areas for reducing food loss waste (FLW) that result in a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
IMPACT AREAS FOR THE PLEDGE
- Integrate food loss and waste reduction into country and company climate strategies.
- Reduce food loss and waste along supply chains.
- Stimulate action at the national and subnational (city) level.
- Measure, report and create policy and regulatory frameworks for FLW reduction.
- Support reduced waste at the consumer level through raising awareness, education and enabling the conditions for change.
Conditions for Pledging
To make a pledge complete the form and send an email, as per instructions appended. Do not forget to share a photograph of your pledge written out on a sign. We’ll provide you with the tools to increase your exposure on social media.
For more information and details: FLW Pledge Flyer
To participate, complete the FLW Pledge_Form_2023, and share it with us at [email protected]
#123 Pledges in the spotlight
NEW! The Scottish Government has pledged, its statement is available here.
"During the period 2023 to 2030, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, acting in compliance with its Constitution, Rules and Regulations and within existing resources, commits to responding positively to all Members’ requests for support in: i. raising awareness about the economic, social and environmental impacts of food loss and waste; ii. strengthening capacities to identify food loss and waste hotspots along the entire food supply chain; iii. measuring the levels of food loss and waste at these hotspots and implementing actions to reduce food loss and waste in a sustainable manner toward impacting the SDG indicator 12.3.1.a Food Loss Index; and iv. developing policy measures to support the reduction of food loss and waste".
The Government of The Netherlands has committed to make an active effort to make the Farm-to-Fork strategy more ambitious at EU level. Now the Farm-to Fork Strategy aims to reduce food waste at consumption and retail level. The Netherlands will make an effort, within the EU to achieve the goal of reducing food loss and waste in the entire food chain, under the Farm to Fork Strategy, which is at the heart of the European Green Deal.
From Denmark, the Chairman of the Board and Founder of Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad) Selina Juul committed to: "Increase national and international awareness, education and behaviour change about food loses and food waste by generating at least 1.000 media and social media coverages".Food is Never Waste Coalition members:
• National states: US, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Ecuador
• UN agencies/IFIs: FAO, UNEP, the World Bank, regional development banks
• NGOs: WRI, WRAP, WWF, Global Foodbanking Network
• Academia/Think Tank/Research Centre: Wageningen University, CGIAR
• Others: Champions 12.3, Rabobank
RELEVANT RESOURCES
Food Loss and Waste
What is the real cost of food?
International day of awareness of food loss and waste 2021 video
Food Loss and Waste
FAO Goodwill Ambassador Diarmuid Gavin
In observance of the IDAFLW 2022, FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Ireland Diarmuid Gavin reminded us that 31 % of total greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the food system.