At the World Economic Forum held in Davos 20-23 January, a coalition of 30 leaders launched a new effort to inspire and mobilize action to reduce food loss and waste globally. Juan Lucas Restrepo, Chair of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, was named a Champion 12.3 following on GFAR's involvement in "No More Food to Waste", a global multi-stakeholder conference convened last June by the Netherlands, along with key partners Viet Nam, UNEP, FAO and African Union Commission.
The leaders accepting the Champions 12.3 title aim to accelerate progress toward meeting Target 12.3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), which seeks to halve per capita food waste and reduce food losses by 2030.
Asked to remark on the challenge at hand, Mr Restrepo emphasized the need for better evaluation of waste and losses, new partnerships to tackle large-scale transformation of supply chains, and the potential of women's empowerment to enable this transformation:
“Now that food loss and waste has become more of a priority on the political agenda, we have the opportunity to make a real contribution in feeding the planet’s growing population. Partnerships between the public, private, and producer sectors hold much promise in this regard, as collaborative actions will be required across sectors and value chains.
GFAR was honored to join the panel of the Group of Champions in June 2015, alongside Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the Presidents of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Pan African Farmers Organization, and the CGIAR/CCAFS. Together we have identified opportunities for action that I have no doubt that the Group will commit to. These include the need for transformational change across supply chains and food systems, so that food is valued and distributed differently, addressing the root causes of food loss and waste. Women must also be engaged in the framing of food waste problems and in developing solutions, and must be empowered to participate equally in value chains. Immediate action is also needed to better define the metrics of food loss and waste.
I see a crucial role for the Group of Champions in triggering international partnerships that will ensure that reducing food loss and waste becomes an imperative, together with smarter farming practices.”
The Champions include CEOs of major companies, government ministers, and executives of research and intergovernmental institutions, foundations, farmer organizations, and civil society groups. These leaders will work to create political, business and social momentum to reduce food loss and waste around the world.
Globally, a third of all food is lost or wasted between the farm and the fork. Reducing food loss and waste can be a triple win: It can save money for farmers, companies, and households; wasting less can feed more people; and reductions can alleviate pressure on climate, water, and land resources.
Read the official press release issued by the World Resources Institute and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands on the Champions 12.3 website here. All quotes from the Champions can be viewed here.