FAO partners with Paraguay's Ministry of Social Development (MDS) to address global food loss and waste (FLW)

Paraguay, September 2023

The Ministry of Social Development, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), celebrated World Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day with a discussion on the critical issue of FLW.  María Ester Jiménez, Vice Minister of Social and Economic Protection and Promotion and President of the National Food Donation Council (CONADA), emphasized the crucial role of this dialogue in reducing hunger and improving nutrition.  

The World Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day, observed on 29 September, calls for public and private action to reduce food loss and waste. Fabiola Alcorta, FAO Assistant Representative in Paraguay, highlighted this call to action and the need to transform agrifood systems. 

This joint effort also involved the academic community, as underscored by Professor Cynthia Saucedo de Schupmann, Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences. She stressed that such initiatives aim to involve teachers, students, researchers, and society in the search for innovative solutions to prevent food loss and waste.  

MDS launched the "Ñañangareko tembi'úre, ani ñamombo" challenge.  

Students from the National University of Asunción were invited to participate in the "Ñañangareko tembi'úre, ani ñamombo" challenge to combat food loss and waste, using the hashtags #PDAUnDesafioParatodos and #LaComidaNoSeTira.  

The challenge includes the following categories  

• Graphic and/or audiovisual materials: Create materials that communicate the concept of "food loss and waste".  
• Projects/Initiatives/Household Interventions: Propose solutions to reduce food loss and waste at home.   
• Projects/Initiatives/Working environment interventions: Innovate to minimize food loss and waste in the workplace.  
• Projects/Initiatives/Interventions in food-related environments: Propose initiatives to combat food loss and waste in canteens and restaurants.  
• Projects/Initiatives/Interventions to improve food security: Develop projects that address food loss and waste while improving food security in underserved communities.