Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

Dear all,

After reviewing the paper and the contributions already posted in the websites, I have found that the paper lacks the inclusion of safety aspects of food and agrosystem and only focuses on the reducing losses and wastes. I think we can include the follwing comments

1) The major obstacles in the least developed countries like Nepal is the lack of infrastructure. This has not only lead to huge amount of food losses during the distribution channel but also resulted in serious health problems. Poor refrigeration system due to frequent power cut has made the enterpreneur to use the sodium hydroxide as neutralizer in milk. This, in the view of preventing the possible loss of milk, has put the public health a serious threat. 

2) The excessive use of pesticides in order to protect them from the possible damage of pests has resulted the pollution of the whole agro-ecosystem and the consumption of such vegetables has resulted in increased number of hospital cases.

3) The focus is to be given to the awareness programs and education to make more people aware on food security and food safety issues. For example in the mountainous districts of Nepal, the availability of locally produced crops and tubers and fruits and vegetable can help in reducing their hunger problem but "the mere fond of rice attitude" made them parasite to depend on the white rice to be transported by government in subsidy. So the subsidy policy should be revised and encouraging the local production should be promoted.

4) Another important thing is the stamping the expiry date on several processed food without proper research about their shelf life. It made the regulatory body to destroy the food product, may be prior to the real consumable period. So the provision for expiry date has to be revised or enforced scientifically.

In most developing countries, attention is being given to production of farm products and little or non to postharvest aspects of farming eg. mechanization,  provision of improved varieties, extention services etc.

In Nigeria and so many other developing countries most farmers are rural women and lack the technology and female friendly equipment to handle postharvest loses. These lead to reduction of income, and hunger few months after harvest

In other to reduce postharvest loses, adequate attention should be given to postharvest aspects of farming as much as is being given to production of farm products

Rural women and girls should be educated, empowered and assisted by postharvest extension worker during and after harvest on  Morden post harvest processes so as to increase their income and provide food for their families for sustainable development in Africa.

As Centrais de Abastecimento (CEASA) de alimentos que operam no Brasil despediçam acintosamente toneladas de alimentos, principalmente os alimentos hortifrutiferas, enquanto inúmeras famílias deixam de alimentar de frutas e legumes em suas refeições diárias.

Outro aspecto importante a ser observado na alimentação da família de baixa renda no Brasil é que a cesta básica é composta unicamente por alimentos industrializados, de baixo valor nutritivo, além de incluir transgênicos, como é o caso do óleo de soja e do fubá de milho. Isso fere o direito do povo à alimentação adequada e fere a soberania alimentar.

Atenciosamente,

Lourdes Laureano.

I would like to highlight on part of the produce/food the way it is being handled. I mean at the time of harvesting, processing and selling. Most of the food produce (Farm, Sea food etc) are still being poorly handled lack of good and required infrastructure, in many cases under utilization of the available infrastructure, lack of monitoring on quality and hygiene issues among sellers, buyers and administrative staff.

Hence, proper awareness on the importance of the food along with their nutritional values, economic value and negative impacts of lack of quality and hygiene is to be given highest importance.

Finally there should be a good sharing mechanism on various types of food availability at various stages so that if at all any waste is inevitable then it can be used properly by necessary process or value addition...

A dedicated website or blog to keep updates on selective areas/industries food waste or it's improvement in reducing the food waste and how the waste is being hadled properly or minimised can be shared to all periodically.

Dear colleagues,

An additional comment:

in many regions damages caused by game bites may be a considerable problem too. There is a conflict between nature protection and food security interests

Dr.Dr. Alois Leidwein

Head of Department

AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety

Research Coordination, Knowledge Transfer, AGES Academy

We welcome the effort to establish the reduction of food losses and waste as a mean to achieve sustainable food systems. 

Looking at point 1 of the proposed issues we would like indicate that other international organizations such as the OECD and Eurostat are also working on the subject. In order to come to an universally valid definition the processes should be harmonized. We suggest a coordination. The contact persons are Mr. Morvarid Bagherzadeh of the OECD, Mr. Rainer Muthmann and Mr. Hartmut Schroer representing Eurostat and Mr. James Lomax of the FAO/UNEP initiative "think.eat.save".

Dear colleagues,

According to the study of "Role of sustainable fisheries & aquaculture for food security and nutrition" I think it's important to study the following :

• Test of water and its content as Chemicals wastes and heavy metals
• Test of Food produced , Microbial Tests and Chemical tests to have an clear idea about food Quality ( post - Harvest Physiology and pollution of the food produced )
• Test results will be used to arrange policies about the food use and food consumbtion .

In fact , food loss starts from the production area , and continue of losses from the production area to the consumption , it's important to study the post - harvest losses as quantity and quality .

Eng. Omar B. Allahham

Head of Policies Division

Studies & Policies Department

Ministry Of Agriculture

Amman-Jordan

Greetings.

As I am from a developing country I always give emphasis to sustainable agriculture

Developed countries industrial revolution as well as developing countries poor industrial waste management hampered our planet whole ecosystem .That why we see worldwide floods, drought , typhoon and extreme weather as well as food crisis . About 870 million people are now in chronic hanger and it’s a millennium challenge to solve it. For this reason I like to divide the agriculture system into two major parts: pre harvest and post harvest . To be continued.

The Postharvest Education Foundation is involved in work to address both of these issues by providing information, advice, training and mentoring of young professionals who are involved in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, home economics and food processing.

FOOD LOSSES

Key factors affecting food losses and the gaps in knowledge/skills that we have identified:

• Poor understanding of harvest indices of plant foods and how maturity is related to quality and shelf life
• Poor sorting and grading practices during preparation for market, allowing damaged /decaying foods to enter the supply chain and spread decay to other foods
• Poor temperature management and lack of control of relative humidity, leading to shriveling, wilting and deterioration of perishable foods
• Poor quality packages which provide little or no protection during handling, transport and storage
• Delays in marketing without proper storage (cool storage for perishables, drying of staple grains/beans/legumes before storage)
• General lack of education on appropriate postharvest handling practices and technologies, leading to rough handling, mechanical damage, improperly handled mixed loads, and food safety dangers
• Lack of the utilization of sustainable cost effective postharvest practices, leading to high levels of food losses on the farm, and in wholesale and retail markets

FOOD WASTE

Key factors affecting food waste and the gaps in knowledge/skills that we have identified:

• Over-sorting and over-grading on the farm and in the packinghouse based on strict guidelines that have more to do with appearance (color, size, shape) than nutritional value or eating quality, leading to higher discards of edible foods
• Poor choice of packages and packaging materials, with focus on cosmetic features rather than on strength, cleanliness, ventilation, moisture control, etc., which would help extend shelf life
• Over-reliance on long term cold storage, refrigeration and freezing, leading to development of off-flavors, chilling injury and freezer burn, causing discards of improperly stored foods along the supply chain
• Confusing or unnecessary “sell-by” or “use-by” dates, based upon cosmetic changes or inventory management schemes rather than on food safety concerns, leading to waste of edible foods at the retail level
• Lack of education regarding proper packaging, cooling/cold storage, storage of cooked foods and reusing left-over foods, leading to increased discards of foods in the home

For a few ideas on how you can reduce food waste:

http://earth911.com/news/2012/02/03/reduce-food-waste-in-5-easy-steps/

http://www.ecocentricblog.org/2012/08/13/18-little-known-facts-that-will-motivate-you-to-cut-back-on-food-waste/

WHY ARE POSTHARVEST FOOD LOSSES AND FOOD WASTE SO UNSUSTAINABLY HIGH?

This is a big, complex question that remains to be answered satisfactorily. One way we might be able to get at some of the answers is to ask instead: Who stands to benefit from maintaining the status quo?

Consider this: High levels of food losses and food waste create continuous demands for:

• more seeds, fertilizers, land, water and other inputs used for production
• more packages, packing materials, plastic bags, etc used to package foods
• more of the transportation (trucks, drivers) used for distribution of food products
• more food warehouses, cold storage and/or food processing facilities
• more traditional food markets and alternative marketing outlets (internet, CSAs etc)
• higher volumes of sales of foods at wholesale and retail markets, food service companies and restaurants.

I put to the attention of the HLPE Comittee the open Talk at Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition kept at © Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition 2012 - www.barillacfn.com with the participation of Jean Schwab, Tristram Struart and Andrea Segre.

An issue of the relevant report with the title “Spreco alimentare:come ridurlo dal campo alla tavola” is edited in few languages and available to download at the Barilla’s Center.

The European and global scenario which was presente is a valuable effort to an updated assement to face at the HLPE. The debate took place on May 23, 2012 in Milano and discussed again at 4th International Forum 2012 November 28-29.

The relevant themes at the Forum have been:

I paradossi della globalizzazione:  Eccesso di cibo o acceso al cibo? Mangiare nel 2030: Il futuro dell’alimentazione tra stili di vita e innovazione. Lo spreco alimentare: una opportunità da cogliere. Come comunicare il cibo?

As author of a proposal of international debates scheme which is still “idle” of implementation with the necessary complement of “strategic tag-deliveries” for each specific meeting, AgoraAmbrosiana and myself hade taken a proper contribution by the above contribution, which is one og the theme aìof major concern in the lager issue of Food and Security for the Planet, know to FAO/ XXX as DRAFT AA, issued August/septmebre 2011.

I took part at the Forum and commented further with personal continutions as I did in occasiion of tye previous Forums. I suppose that the important contributions in all thge approrpate forms will be part of the final document of this open debate.

Sincerely,

Dr V. Lo Scalzo, AgoràAmbrosiana

5 April, 2013 – Cannes/Milano