HLPF 2018: SDG12 review

 

 

 

2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
SDG12 review

Rene Castro, FAO Assistant-Director General

 

I am pleased to deliver these remarks on behalf of the Rome-based agencies – FAO, IFAD and WFP.

Sustainable food systems, in which responsible consumption is encouraged as a driver of less resource intensive production practices, will play a critical role in the achievement of SDG 12.

More sustainable food systems will also act as an enabler of a host of other Sustainable Development Goals and targets.

Reductions in food loss and waste can play a significant role in increasing the efficiency and hence sustainability of food systems, reducing pressures on the natural resource environment.

Actions to tackle food loss and waste are required at different points in the food system, including:

• the enactment of legislation on the disposal of surplus food by retail outlets;
• the use of market-based instruments (taxes, incentives and subsidy schemes) to encourage actors along the value chain to change their production and processing practices; and,
• investment in cold chain and storage infrastructure, capacity building to improve postharvest handling practises and campaigns to promote awareness to reduce food waste.

Support to coordinated actions on food loss and waste and sustainable consumption and production more broadly are being facilitated through multi-stakeholder partnerships under the One Planet Network, the implementation mechanism for the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production.

Thank you for your attention.