Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
-
ArticleJournal articleThe environmental impact of reducing food loss and waste: A critical assessment 2021
Also available in:
No results found.This paper examines the rationale for pursuing environmental objectives by reducing food loss and waste (FLW). The main thrust of the literature on this issue is that FLW reduction can make a major contribution to making food systems more sustainable. Using a stylized analytical framework, we find that reducing FLW always improves resource use efficiency for land and water, and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted per unit of food consumed. However, whether the actual environmental outcome is improved will depend on where environmental damage and FLW reduction occur, and the way price transmission connects these along the food supply chain. We find that, while a food waste reduction at the consumer level always improves the environmental outcome, this is not guaranteed when reducing losses from farm to retail. We thus derive a condition linking the price transmission mechanism and the environmental impact of a loss reduction. Simulating environmental outcomes based on a range of parameter values found in the literature, we find that reducing losses at or close to the farm level can increase the aggregate amount of GHG emissions, and therefore focusing on reducing consumer waste is more effective in reducing emissions. As for reducing natural resource use, both loss and waste reductions reduce the amount of land and water use, but effectiveness is reduced by heterogeneity in environmental impact. Relative to loss reductions, effectiveness of a waste reduction is amplified if there are environmentally damaging losses upstream in the value chain, but also dampened by vertical heterogeneity of sourcing along a value chain. The paper makes the case that more targeted instruments may be better suited to address typically local water scarcity and land use and degradation issues. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetBrochureCoordinating local and national actions to reduce food loss and waste in Mediterranean cities
Webinar outcomes
2025Also available in:
During this webinar, organized by the SFS-MED Platform and held on 28 January 2025, stakeholders from across the Mediterranean came together to share insights, strategies and experiences on addressing the growing challenge of food loss and waste in the region. Panelists emphasized the powerful role cities can play in driving innovation and systems change by promoting more efficient resource use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and generating social and economic benefits - from improved public health to new job opportunities. Strategic urban governance was highlighted as critical to identifying local drivers of food waste and enabling context-specific solutions, supported by clear legislation, cross-sectoral policies and incentives for the private sector. The discussion underscored the importance of multi-level coordination, linking local, national and international efforts, as well as the need for stronger collaboration between science, policy and practice. Advancing research, education and technology transfer were seen as pivotal to unlocking practical, scalable solutions. Ultimately, reducing food loss and waste is not only a technical challenge, but a shared responsibility that demands collective action to transform agrifood systems in the Mediterranean and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetBrochurePotential Impacts on Sub-Saharan Africa of Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the European Union
A focus on food prices and price transmission effects
2015Also available in:
No results found.This paper uses scenario analyses to investigate how reductions in food loss and waste (FLW) in the European Union (EU) could influence prices in sub-Saharan Africa – as a source and destination of traded agricultural and food products. In addition to a baseline “business as usual” (BaU) scenario, four scenarios with 50-percent reductions are enacted using the Modular Applied GeNeral Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET). The analysis provides insights on potential impacts in terms of medium- to long-term g lobal and local price changes in sub- Saharan Africa and the mechanisms behind them – changes in production, consumption and trade patterns. It also provides insights into the potential welfare impacts. The research shows that loss or waste of safe and nutritious food for human consumption is being prevented and reduced in the EU concurrent to actions in other regions. The potential intra- and inter-regional impacts on food prices and welfare therefore need to be further researched and projected . The research also shows that high-level considerations of the socio-economic impacts of FLW need to be balanced with value chain analyses that include data on costs related to the prevention and reduction measures to be implemented for short-, mediumand long-term returns on investments along food supply chains, including at the end consumption level.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
-
Book (series)Working paperA standardized global approach to assess crop productivity using Earth Observations Big Data
Development of a global Crop Potential Productivity Index using Earth Observation Big Data and FAO’s Crop Ecological Requirements Database
2025Also available in:
No results found.This working paper introduces the Crop Potential Productivity Index (CropPI), a global index that integrates Earth Observation Big Data with FAO’s Crop Requirements Database to assess the potential productivity of key staple crops (maize, wheat, and rice). The index combines climate, water availability, and soil parameters into a high-resolution (250m) spatial indicator and includes a penalization strategy for seasonal stressors. CropPI has been tested in 11 African countries and validated against Net Primary Productivity (NPP), DSSAT-simulated yields, and GAEZ data. The paper discusses its applicability for policy, planning, and climate adaptation, and offers recommendations for future improvements, including dynamic phenology, irrigation data integration, and AI-based validation. -
BookletTechnical studyFood Systems Profile - Somalia
Catalysing the sustainable and inclusive transformation of food systems
2022Also available in:
No results found.Food systems are intimately linked to our lives – through the food we eat, our nutrition and health, our livelihoods, jobs, and the environment and natural resources of the planet. The main challenge for food systems is to produce nutritious food for all while preserving our biodiversity and environment and ensuring equitable distribution of wealth. This Food Systems Profile provides a summary of the main food system issues in Somalia and highlights potential solutions for their sustainable and inclusive transformation. It is the result of a systemic analysis and stakeholders' consultation that was part of a global assessment of food systems in over 50 countries, following a joint initiative by the EU, FAO, and CIRAD which aims at catalyzing the sustainable and inclusive transformation of food systems. -
Book (series)Evaluation reportEvaluation of the project "Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries"
Project code: GCP/GLO/965/SWE
2023Also available in:
No results found.It was found that the SIDA-SSF project was robustly designed, relevant and responsive to needs and emerging opportunities to further the implementation of the SSF Guidelines. Most notable achievements include greater awareness of the SSF Guidelines at all levels, the preparation of National Plans of Action for SSF (NPOA-SSF) in selected countries, the operationalization of the Advisory and Regional Advisory Groups under the SSF Global Strategic Framework (SSF-GSF), the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) study and the celebration of the International Year for Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022. The elaboration of a monitoring system for the implementation of the SSF Guidelines has progressed. The project has influence in building the capacity of SSF organizations and actors to represent the interests of small-scale fishers and fishworkers at national level and in international fora. Partnerships are a cornerstone of project implementation and enabling to move the SSF agenda forward.Recommendations include actions to be taken by the SIDA-SSF project Core Team and FAO. They emphasize approaches and priorities, thematic areas, collaborations and partnerships, social inclusion and targeting, project administration and oversight, learning and knowledge sharing, and finally the place of SSF in “blue” narratives and initiatives as areas to build on the project results and achieve sustainability and long-term impact.