Investment in Agrifood Systems Forum

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.