Technical Platform on the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste

Food Loss Related News
Towards the development of post-harvest management policy and strategy in Burkina Faso
14/04/2017

Towards the development of post-harvest management policy and strategy: supporting a strategic roadmap for the reduction of post-harvest losses in cereals and pulses in Burkina Faso

On 15 March 2017, key stakeholders met in Ouagadougou to discuss technical, policy and s...

WFP’s Zero Food Loss initiative
20/03/2017

 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) carried out an independent study about the scalability and adaptability of post-harvest hermetic technologies based on the WFP Special Operation in 2015. The study focused on scalability, adaptability and impact of the project to Ug...

Improving our estimates of postharvest losses: APHLIS+ launch
21/09/2016

Launched in 2009, APHLIS is a scientific model which provides evidence-based estimates on postharvest cereal losses (PHLs) across 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The APHLIS+ network meeting, hosted by the Natural Resources Institute in Accra (Ghana) 5-9 September 2016, provided ...

30/08/2016
A validation workshop to share the results of a food loss assessment study and to collect feedback and comments by different stakeholders was held in Ouagadougou on 28 July 2016. The study was carried out by consultants and country team of the Rome-based UN agencies joint project in Burkina Faso.
FAO regional workshop for food loss reduction strategy development
15/06/2016
A three-day workshop organized in the framework of the project entitled ‘Food loss reduction strategy development in favour of smallholder producers in Africa Phase 1’ was held in Douala, Cameroun, 7-9 June 2016. The workshop is part of a project launched in 2014, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by FAO in eleven African countries (Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in partnership with respective Ministries of Agriculture and other stakeholders.
11/04/2016
In countries where post-harvest losses have been proven to be high and, in some cases, assessed and measured the development of conducive policies and regulations for their reduction should be supported. It is a fact that multi-stakeholder initiatives play a key role in developing knowledge and capacities. As CoP members, we would like to receive your insights on: who the main drivers of such processes are; how do such processes work; and, based on what evidence they can be built. 
17/11/2015
A short course providing participants with expert lectures on a wide variety of topics relevant to the crop supply chain from quality parameters, value chain analysis, and economic impact of food losses & waste to multi-stakeholder involvement.
Micro-nutrient loss in food loss and waste in fruit and vegetables
05/11/2015
There is lack of information on micro-nutrient losses in the food supply chains. Given the large scale of micro-nutrient deficiencies and the need of diversified diets to prevent and control micro-nutrient deficiencies worldwide, there is a real need for nutrient loss data to assess the causes and scale of the problem. 
24/09/2015

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the UN Rome based agencies (FAO, IFAD and WFP) co-organized a workshop on Post-Harvest Management (PHM) / Food Loss Reduct...

13/04/2015
A one-day workshop aimed at launching the activities planned in Uganda within the framework of the RBAs joint project funded by the Swiss Agency for International Cooperation was organized by FAO.
02/03/2015

Your contribution in collecting and describing existing postharvest loss (PHL) assessment methodologies can make the difference! 

After the consultation undertaken to get CoP members’ insights about the preferred topics of discussion, a new thread has been launched on

Food Losses and Waste Initiative: From Prevention to Valorisation
30/01/2015
As the reduction of food losses and valorisation of waste must be part of a portfolio of solutions needed to feed the world more sustainably, GFIA 2015 will include a major focus on the important issues.
Small-scale Postharvest Handling Technologies Short Course/Study Tour
10/01/2015
The Small-scale Postharvest Handling Technologies Short Course/Study Tour was successfully held during 23-27 February 2015 in Arusha, Tanzania by the Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF).
21/10/2014

What are your experiences in levels of grain losses, particularly maize? How were they measured? What solutions can be/were implemented to reduce these losses? What success stories can you share with the Community?

Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems
30/09/2014
Summary and recommendations of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) report on “Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems” are now available.
African Union (AU) Malabo Declaration on Agriculture and Postharvest Losses
29/09/2014

The AU launched  2014 the “Year of Agriculture and Food Security” marking the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) on January 30, 2014 during its 22nd Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia...

Food Loss Related Publications
20/12/2020

This report presents details about the training workshop and experience gained from testing of the Guidelines on fish loss measurement. It includes situation analysis, training needs assessment (TNA), selection of participants, goal and objectives, training description, preparation of training, delivery of training, and evaluation.

Mitigating risks to food systems during COVID-19: Reducing food loss and waste
08/12/2020

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, generating significant challenges that could result in risks to food security and nutrition in many countries. Countries are ordering lockdowns, restricting movement and observing physical distancing to curb the pandemic.

30/11/2020

Guidance for stakeholders in the horticultural supply chain. Good post-harvest handling is important in maintaining the quality and safety of papayas as they are transported from the farm to the market.

29/11/2020

Guidance for stakeholders in the horticultural supply chain. Good post-harvest handling is important in maintaining the quality and safety of papayas as they are transported from the farm to the market.

Guidelines on the measurement of harvest and post-harvest losses
31/10/2020

A study was conducted in two Agriculture Development District (ADDs) of Malawi, Salima and Lilongwe, to pilot a new methodology for estimating on-farm harvest and post-harvest losses. The study was carried-out with technical support from the Global strategy to improve agricultural and rural statistics (GSARS) of the Food and Agricultural...

08/09/2020

The report focuses on the role that food loss and waste (FLW) could play in reducing the environmental footprint of food systems while attempting to meet the caloric and nutrient needs of a population expected to increase by 3 billion people in the next 30 years. The performance of the global food system over the last century has been extraordinary.

07/07/2020

The ongoing pandemic has threatened the food and nutritional security of millions of Latin Americans and Caribbean people. These interruptions in the links of the value chain of the agri-food system have resulted in greater food loss and waste. We are not yet in a position to say when the rate of contagion will decrease, or when we will return to normal. Such uncertainty makes it imperative to analyze how food losses and waste affect food systems, how how this can be prevented.

E-learning: Food Loss and waste in fish value chains
01/06/2020

Food Loss and Waste (FLW) in the fisheries sector is a complex issue with multiple and interrelated causes at different levels. Policy makers, the public and private sectors require solutions not only to be economically beneficial, but also to generate or sustain benefits for society.

30/04/2020

Guidance for stakeholders in the horticultural supply chain. Good post-harvest handling is important in maintaining the quality and safety of lettuce as they are transported from the farm to the market.

28/02/2020

This booklet is a practical manual presenting the simple techniques used to preserve starchy staples, dark leafy green vegetables, fruits and vegetables in Fiji. The first half of the booklet provides a general introduction to the basic principles of food preservation and spoilage. Methods of preservation are then defined including solar drying technique for the processing of local starchy staples and dark green leafy vegetables into flour and leafy green powder.

Amélioration de la gestion des pertes après-récolte dans les filières céréales et légumineuses au Burkina Faso
01/02/2020

Cette note d’orientation politique est basée sur les travaux de l’atelier de consultation national qui s’est tenu à Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso le 15 mars 2017, dans le cadre du projet «Intégration des initiatives pour la réduction des pertes alimentaires pour les petits producteurs dans les zones à déficit alimentaire» décrit ci-après.

Addressing Food Loss and Waste : A Global Problem with Local Solutions
31/01/2020

The report focuses on the role that food loss and waste (FLW) could play in reducing the environmental footprint of food systems while attempting to meet the caloric and nutrient needs of a population expected to increase by 3 billion people in the next 30 years.

A decade of food loss reduction
01/01/2020

An overview of IFAD’s supplementary-funded grant portfolio on food loss reduction. According to recent estimates, 14 per cent of the world’s food production is lost before it reaches the consumer. Food losses disproportionately affect developing countries, threatening people’s livelihoods, especially those dependent on agriculture.

The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV-2021) Background Paper
01/01/2020

This background paper outlines the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, but also examines the various aspects of the fruit and vegetable sector from a food systems approach: from sustainable production and trade to loss and waste management. 

01/01/2020

This brochure was developed to display the results of the FAO Technical Cooperation Project: TCP/TIM/3310, Capacity-development to reduce post-harvest losses in horticultural chains in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries. Improvement in the implementation of good practice in post-harvest handling to assure safety were piloted. This brochure aims to provide information on...

Food Waste to Wealth Post-harvest Loss from Farm Gate to Market
01/12/2019

‘Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger’ aims to ensure food security at global level. However, one of the major challenges in ensuring food security is post-harvest losses, which is highly prevalent in CIRDAP member countries. This post-harvest loss is a contributing element to the overarching concepts of food waste and food loss.

Smallholder Farmer Perceptions of Postharvest Loss and Its Determinants in Fijian Tomato Value Chains
01/11/2019

The Fiji Islands, like many small Pacific island nations, are thought to incur high rates of postharvest loss. Little work has been undertaken to quantify the amount of loss within Pacific horticultural value chains, or identify the key determinants. This study sought to quantify postharvest loss within Fijian smallholder tomatoes producers.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2019
14/10/2019

Reducing food loss and waste is widely seen as an important way to reduce production costs and increase the efficiency of the food system, improve food security and nutrition, and contribute towards environmental sustainability. Growing attention to food loss and waste is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

01/09/2019

Deux études ont été conduites au Burkina Faso pour une analyse approfondie des pertes après-récolte et de leurs causes le long des chaînes d’approvisionnement (CA) du sorgho, du maïs et du niébé.La première étude sur le terrain des pertes après-récolte a été conduite entre les mois d’octobre 2015 et d’avril...

01/04/2019

Deux études ont été conduites en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) pour une analyse appro-fondie des pertes après-récolte et de leurs causes le long des chaînes d’approvisionnement (CA) du maïs et du riz.La première étude sur le terrain des pertes après-récolte a été conduite entre les mois d’avril et septem-bre...

Food Loss Related Events

15/ 10

2014

Virtual Event, 15/10/2014

This webinar will present current evidence of high levels of global postharvest food losses, identify the causes and sources of losses occurring between the farm and the market, and provide information on a wide range of options for using simple, cost eff

14/ 10

2014

Rome (Italy), 14/10/2014

41st session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Side event ‘Getting into Action on Food Losses and Waste (FLW)’ co-organized by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Rome-based UN Agencies Food and Agriculture Organizat

13/ 10

2014

13/1

2015

Virtual Event, 13/10/2014 - 13/01/2015

“What are your experiences in levels of grain losses, particularly maize? How were they measured? What solutions can be/were implement to reduce these losses? What success stories can you share with the Community? ” In Kenya, the SAVE FOOD Initiative and