Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

English version below

Buenos días:

Revisando el documento sometido a consulta, se observa que el Código de Conducta podría dirigirse a varios destinatarios. Entre ellos, se destacan los Estados y las organizaciones internacioanles (incluidas, por ejemplo, la Comisión Mixta FAO/OMS del Codex Alimentarius).

En ese sentido, pareciera que el Código de Conducta (de naturaleza voluntaria) debe proponer a los Estados la adopción de ciertos instrumentos vinculantes (coercitivos), que apoyen el funcionamiento del mecanismo en su conjunto. Estos instrumentos tendrán una naturaleza jurídica (marco jurídico). En esta línea, comparto con ustedes un artículo de mi autoría (archivo adjunto), publicado en 2015, en el cual hago algunas proposiciones de corte jurídico, que podrían enriquecer la discusión. 

En la segunda parte del artículo (Los mecanismos para combatir el desperdicio alimentario) se explican con más detalle las siguientes propuestas, pero para facilitar su comprensión se enuncian de seguido:

a) Creación de una obligación (jurídica) general de reducción del desperdicio alimentario: se trata de una obligación genérica, dirigida a los operadores del sector agroalimentario (sector privado);

b) Creación de una obligación específica de prevención del riesgo de desperdicio alimentario. Sobre la base de la noción de riesgo de desperdicio alimentario, la cual se edificaría a la imagen de la noción de riesgo sanitrio, se establecería una dinámica de gestión de los riesgos de desperdicio alimentario.  Estos riesgos deberán gestionarse, al mismo tiempo que se gestionan los riesgos sanitarios. Deberán identificarse, entonces, los puntos críticos y establecerse medidas para limitarlos.

El Codex Alimentarius podría incluir estos riesgos en la getión realizada por medio del HACCP, así como en las propuestas de Buenas Prácticas. Como consecuencia, las medidas de  combate del desperdicio alimentario se incluiría en los procedimientos típicos de gestión de los riesgos (que son procedimientos normales en la elaboración de los alimentos). 

Las empresas deberán demostrar que han puesto en marcha los respectivos protocolos para prevenir la realización de los riesgo del desperdicio alimentario, y hacerse de las evidencias nesarias (como sucede en los mecanismos de "autocontrol" existentes).

c) El reconocimiento de que el desperdicio alimentario puede constituir una forma de Abuso de Derecho, en relación con el ejercicio típico del derecho de propiedad que se tiene sobre los alimentos. Este uso abusivo del derecho, que implica el desperdicio de alimentos, constituiría una forma de uso antisocial de tales bienes, que provocaría un daño difuso a la sociedad. Este daño, en función de su magnitud, daría paso a una responsabilidad civil (delictual), que acarrearía la obligación de reparar o indemnizar a la sociedad.

Como indico arriba, los detalles de estas propuestas jurídicas, se incluyen en el artículo adjunto.

Deseando que las propuestas contribuyan a la reflexión, se despide,

Dr. Hugo A. Muñoz Ureña

Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica 

Chaire de recherche en Droit de la Diversité et Securité Alimentaires, Université Laval (Quévec), Canadá

Good Morning:

Reviewing the document submitted for consultation, I note that the Code of Conduct could be addressed to several recipients. Among them, States and international organizations stand out (including, for example, the Joint FAO / WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission).

In that sense, it seems that the Code of Conduct (which is of a voluntary nature) should propose to the States the adoption of certain binding (coercive) instruments that support the functioning of the mechanism as a whole. These instruments could have a legal nature (legal framework). In this context, I share with you an article I authored (attached file), published in 2015, in which I make some legal proposals, which could enrich the discussion.

In the second part of the article (The mechanisms to combat food waste) the following proposals are explained in more detail, but to facilitate their understanding I introduce them below:

a) Creation of a general (legal) obligation to reduce food waste: this is a generic obligation, aimed at operators in the agri-food sector (private sector);

b) Creation of a specific obligation to prevent the risk of food waste. On the basis of the notion of risk of food waste, which would be built following the model of the notion of sanitary risk, a mechanism for the management of food waste risks would be established. These risks must be managed at the same time as health risks. The critical points must then be identified and measures to limit them established.

The Codex Alimentarius could include these risks in the management made with HACCP, as well as in the proposals of Good Practices. Consequently, measures to combat food waste would be included in typical risk management procedures (which are normal procedures in food processing).

Companies must demonstrate that they have implemented the respective protocols to prevent the realization of the risks of food waste, and provide the necessary evidence (as it happens in the existing "self-control" mechanisms).

c) The recognition that food waste can constitute a form of Abuse of Law, in relation to the typical exercise of the right of ownership over food. This abusive use of the law, which implies the waste of food, would constitute a form of antisocial use of such goods, which could cause diffuse damage to society. This damage, depending on its magnitude, would give way to a civil (criminal) liability, which would entail the obligation to repair or indemnify society.

As indicated above, the details of these legal proposals are included in the attached article.

I wish that the proposals will contribute to the reflection.

All the best

Dr. Hugo A. Muñoz Ureña

Faculty of Law, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica

@ Mahesh Chander

Thank you for mentioning animal feed as an important aspect in the fight against FLW. Animal feed is indeed included in the CoC as a possible option after prevention, reduction and redistribution of food for human consumption. Animal feed represent a good way to repurpose food no longer edible or no longer of good nutritious quality for humans.

In fact, there shouldn't be anything like food waste, if we know turning it into animal fed, manure or other uses !

Residue of lot many fruits and vegetables could be turned into silage to supplement animal feed. For instance, pineapple fruit silage could be excellent fodder source for livestock. We should docuement all possible uses of grains, fruits, vegetables & other edibles, how best we can make use of them under different circumstances.

@ Vethaiya BALASUBRAMANIAN

Thank you for your interesting contribution and the list of FLW determinants.

Among the examples you cite, the price of food can play a very important role in determining the amount of food waste at consumers’ level. The example you cite from Tamil Nadu is siginificative.

FLW is indeed a complex issue that depends on a number of causes ranging from biological, microbial, chemical, biochemical, mechanical, physical, physiological, technological, logistical, organizational, psychological and behavioural ones – including those induced by marketing, etc. The importance of these factors vary greatly according to the produce and the context, and the stage of the food chain considered (see for example the HLPE report http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3901e.pdf for reference). Aim of the Code of Conduct is to provide a benchmark and framework against which countries can develop strategies, policies, institutions, legislation and programmes and to provide a set of global, locally adaptable voluntary practices that different stakeholders directly or indirectly involved with FLW might adopt.

@ JC Wandemberg

Thank you for your contribution! As you mention, the involvement of all actors in the fight against FLW is pivotal and market-based instruments like taxes can be among the effective instruments to reduce FLW.

Food loss and wastes (FLW) are a serious problem worldwide.

The number one is Food Loss (FL) that occurs at every stage of the supply chain from field production to food on the table. Most of the food loss is due to two factors:

Contrllable management factors:

• Right time and proper method sowing and other crop management operations including the harvest and post-harvest processing in the field.
• Inadequate infrastructure for transport, processing, and storage of foods. This is especially important for perishables where more than half of the produce is lost due to inadequate infrastructure and poor handling of the produce.
• Lack of education and technical support in field and the next steps in supply chain management.
• Soil conservation and soil health management is critical for sustainable food production in the field.
• Water resource conservation and management for food production is critical in water-limited areas.

Factors beyond the control of individual players in the supply chain:

• Climate change: Global warming, heat waves, cold waves, drought, flood, land slides, cyclones, etc. These factors must be tackeld by government agencies and multinational organizations.
• Resource depletion and resource degradation: Again we need action at the national, regional, and global level. 
• Deforestation for farming and other pruposes: A tenth of the greenhouse gas emissions comes for clearing forests for farming and othe uses, and is responsible for loss of forests and natural biodiversity.
• Desertfication: We need to take action at national, regional and global level to minimize and or to contain the expansion of deserts. 
• Farm related pollution of soil and water resources in chemical intensive agriculture. We need to encourage farmers to move away from chemical intensive agriculture and to take up regenerative farming.

The number two is food wastage (W). This is a serious problem which is responsible for avoidable food wastes due to our affluence, lack of appreciation of how hard and resource demaning it is to produce that food, sheer negligence in handling food, and lack of awareness of people going to bed hungry due to poverty. We can see enormous amounts of foods wasted and thrown away in marriages and other social functions, in canteens of affluent colleges and schools, in high class restaurants, and in super matkets. To reduce such food losses we need to do the following:

• Education and awareness creationn of the public on how they throw away foods and what they can do individually and collectively to reduce food losses at home and in restaurants.
• Education of children in schools on food and nutrition and food losses in the supply chain so thay they grow up as respobsible citizens to minimize and or prevent food losses.
• Distribution of excess foods from social functions and restaurants to the hungry and poor through voluntary organizations involved in feeding and supporting the poor.
• Pricing of foods at the right level. In Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, we have an organization called Shanti Social Services provding 15,000 to 20,000 excellent meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to people (rich and poor) at one fourth to one fifth of what it will cost in regular restaurants in the city. When they reduced this low price further by half, the amount of food wasted by customers doubled. As a result, they revised the price back to the original level to minimize food wastes. It is a strange behavior of people to waste food when they get food at low price or free.
• Providing incentives at testaurants for not to waste food. Even in buffet system, people do waste a lot foods.

Hope it is helpful. Thank you.

Addressing COC

There are only three ways to manage people’s conduct:

By Coercion

By Collusion

By Inspiration

1. and 2. are rather simple to deal with through incentives, disincentives, and regulations.

Number 3 is the greatest challenge along with the implementation and enforcement of 1 & 2.

There is no greater inspiration than that of a brighter future for all involved based on moral authority, integrity, and transparency.

Addressing FLW

FLW happens for many reasons, inter alia:

Some food prices are so cheap people don’t care about wasting them

Inappropriate infrastructure to bring food from harvest to consumer

Inappropriate storage

Adding a tax to cheap foods will address # 1. the tax collected can be used to help build better infrastructure and storage issues.

Best regards,

JC Wandemberg Ph.D.

Sustainable Systems International.Org