'Food as a precious good' to spur food loss and waste reduction

Last month I had the privilege to attend the conference on 'Reduction of Food Loss and Waste' organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Pope Francis is calling for changes to overcome the “throw away culture”, at date manifested in the huge Food Loss and Waste (FLAW), with serious moral repercussions, in view of the prevailing hunger by more than 820 million people and lack of access to healthy diets by 2 billion people (FAO’s SOFI report 2019). Resources are becoming scarcer, such as water and fertile lands, because food is produced but never eaten.

The conference objectives were threefold:

1. Share the latest scientific evidence on how to reduce FLAW and thereby contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive global food system;
2. Provide recommendations for expanded global and national actions, including public and private investments and initiatives for citizens, the private sector, governments, and multilateral organizations; and
3. Broaden the alliance of actors to make more significant improvements in reducing FLAW.

The event was an extraordinary meeting of leaders of faiths, governments, civil society, academics and business. Despite the broad diversity there was a great united conviction that all actors should bring on all skills and experiences to reduce food loss and waste at the very unique and historical place of the Vatican.

Craig Hanson shared the new and insightful report 'A 10-step Plan for the World to Cut Food Loss and Waste in Half By 2030' by WRI, Rockefeller Foundation, Worldbank and Wageningen University and Iowa State University, with, among other, the following advice:

• 'Going after the GHG reduction benefits' (FLW reduction to achieve NDCs),
• 'Overcoming Data Deficits' (data gathering to identify hotspots to act upon)
• 'Advance the Research Agenda' (step up R&D and behavioral science) -

I particularly liked the part of the discussion about the 'value of food'. Instead of talking about loss and waste, we could shift the focus on the 'value of food'. Hereby we do not only mean the monetary value, but very much the representation of nutritional value, family and cultural beliefs and food as a precious good because of the value of the resources.

By looking at food as a precious good it becomes only logical that fighting 'Food Loss And Waste' (FLAW) is only the right thing to do. It should be treated as 'FLAW's in the system to be repaired. An inspiring thought. There is still a lot that can and needs to be done. Fortunately there are already a lot of technologies are available.

Royal DSM wants to contribute to 'Healthy diets for all within planetary boundaries'. Reducing food loss and waste is an important element of this. We help to reduce food spoilage with food, feed and packaging solutions that protect food and prevent milk, eggs, cheese and meat being lost or wasted.

#rollingupsleeves #foodwaste #foodloss #nutrition #sustainability #valueoffood

For the conference declaration, look here.