Reducing food loss and waste through food redistribution

The EU Platform on Food losses and Food Waste sub-group on food donation met virtually to discuss the recovery and redistribution of food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange lessons-learned and to look at longer-range plans to bolster’s Europe’s food supply in times of crisis.

The sub-group on food donation also discussed the EU Food contingency plan to ensure food supply and food security in times of crisis, in the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy. Participants were briefed on the plans to establish a forum for EU Member States and other stakeholder representatives to better coordinate on crisis response. 

During the event, FAO and the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) jointly presented the online FeedUP@UN platform designed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). 

The EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste was established in 2016 to bring together EU institutions, experts from the EU countries and relevant stakeholders including FAO who is part of the platform as an observer. The Platform aims to support all actors in defining measures needed to prevent food waste, and evaluating progress made over time. In addition to the plenary meetings, the platform also operates in sub-groups to examine specific aspects and/or questions related to food waste prevention.

The aim of the platform, based on block chain technology, is to provide a traceable, centralized online marketplace designed to enable trade at a faster pace to reduce food loss and food waste.

Watch the recording of the session here.

Read more on FAO’s work on food loss and food waste here.