The study should investigate:
1. how the reduction of FLW could improve the sustainability of food systems
2. how unsustainable food systems contribute to FLW
The scope of issues that the HLPE proposes to look at, is too wide. It would be better to stay more focused on the core objectives mentioned above.
1. Don't enter the discussion of the definition of FLW; just take the FAO definition in its current state.
2. Don't include agricultural production for non-food uses.
3. Don't include 'over-use' of food; far too little is known, or can be defined at this stage.
4. Don't include 'measuring and data availability (indicators, trends, monitoring); just use the available data of the extent of FLW
5. Regarding the impact of FLW on the 4 dimensions of food & nutrition security (availability, access, utilization, stability), only consider availability and access. Rationale: FLW have a direct effect on the availability, and an indirect effect on the access if FLW reduction leads to increased income.
6. Focus the study on two regions only: Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
7. Study the mutual impact of the 3 dimensions of sustainability plus the policy dimension (ENV, SOC, ECO, POL) on FLW.
a. Impact of FLW:
ECO: reduced income, reduced GDP, reduced investments, no growth
ENV: waste of natural resources, unnecessary GHG emission
SOC: reduced food security
b. Causes of FLW (how unsustainable food systems contribute to FLW):
SOC: culture and behaviour of people, consumption patterns; lack of education, organizational and managerial skills
ECO: poverty; lack of investments; no access to technology; poor infrastructure; logistics
POL: enabling environment/ investment climate, subsidies, legislation, standards and norms for food quality, trade regulations
c. Reduction of FLW and Valorisation of FLW (how the reduction of FLW could improve the sustainability of food systems):
ECO: economic feasibility of solutions; distribution of economic benefits among the value chain actors; valorisation of FLW
SOC: acceptability of solutions
ENV: net environmental impact of the solutions, especially regarding energy consumption and ghg emission
POL: political will to make changes
8. The impact, causes and solutions should be assessed in the national, regional and inter-regional context, the latter meaning that FLW in one region can be caused by conditions in another region, and can have a social and economical impact in another region. For example: more value addition in a poor region could reduce losses in that region, reduce imports into that region, and increase export of high-value products as well as reduce exports of raw materials to a rich region.
9. Answer the two questions above.
10. Make recommendations to reduce FLW and increase the sustainability of food systems.
11. The study could be undertaken by studying a large quantity of cases from projects (FAO, WB, private sector, IFAD, EU, AfDB etc.) on food security and value chain development, and develop models to assess 7a, b and c above.
Robert van Otterdijk