Investment in Agrifood Systems Forum

Investing in mitigating food loss and waste
organized by FAO
Event
Session Type
Conference
Session Themes
Investment in Agrifood Systems Forum
Contact Email
Ahmad.Mukhtar@fao.org
20 October 2023
09:00 - 10:30 Abu Dhabi
Asia/Dubai

Food Loss and Waste (FLW) are a manifestation of inefficient agrifood systems, with negative impacts on the economy, food security and nutrition, and the environment. Recent estimates show that 14 percent of the food produced is lost along the supply chain (FAO, 2019) and that 17 percent of the food available at the retail level is wasted (UNEP, 2021). FLW contributes to 8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions through the production, processing and distribution and disposal of food that is not consumed. A major impediment to reducing FLW is the insufficient awareness of the extent of the issue and the ‘business case’ for policy and investment in reducing FLW. 

Session themes:

  • Investments in upgrading rural market facilities, such as improving cold storage facilities, deploying climate-smart processing, storage, and packaging, and utilizing handling technologies to reduce losses and add more value. 
  • Importance of a holistic and integrated approach and enabling environment to invest in FLW reduction which is aligned with sustainable food system objectives.

Speaker(s)

Advisor for Agriculture Global Practice and Food Systems, The World Bank Group
Head of Operations, The World Farmers' Organization
Senior Fellow and Director for Food Loss and Waste, World Resources Institute (WRI)
Director of Health and Sustainability Programmes, IGD (Tesco Retail)
Business Development Manager in Global Food & Energy Networks, Rabobank
Senior Advisor on Agriculture Trade and Agriculture Value Chains Development, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Acting Managing Director, UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries
Senior Economist, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)