Did you know that 690 million people suffer from hunger daily, even though there is enough food to feed everyone on the planet? We have become accustomed to seeing abundance on one side and scarcity on the other in our daily lives. This article particularly addresses food loss and waste (FLW), a complex issue due to its environmental impacts and its effect on food security.
Approximately a quarter to a third of the food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted. Latin America and the Caribbean rank third among the regions generating the most food loss or waste, presenting a significant challenge as 47 million people in the region face hunger.
This alarming situation, along with other equally urgent issues, led United Nations Member States to adopt the 2030 Agenda, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Notably, Goal 12 aims to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.
Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) throughout the food chain is crucial not only for reducing food insecurity but also for mitigating various economic and environmental impacts related to land use, energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the state, as a principal actor, plays a fundamental role in establishing public policies, regulations, and laws to prevent and reduce FLW. A harmonized legal framework (one that also includes efforts in food security and environmental sustainability) is vital to addressing this problem.
According to the study "Legislative Advances on the Prevention and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean" by Dr. Hugo A. Muñoz U., professor at the University of Costa Rica and member of the Observatory of the Right to Food in Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of a multidisciplinary team from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), seven countries have FLW laws, and 56 legislative projects have been presented. This study classifies legislative measures into four categories: 1) those defining the role of institutions, 2) those targeting traders, 3) those aiming to reinforce technical aspects of production and distribution processes, and 4) measures developing the notion of proximity in food distribution.
The first category includes topics such as the authority in charge, the establishment of public policies, coordination between state institutions, data collection, and information dissemination. The second category targets traders, regulating issues like voluntary or mandatory donation, tax exemptions, labeling, and access to soft loans. The third category focuses on reinforcing technical aspects, covering technological innovation, rural infrastructure, circular economy, and agroecology. The final category aims to develop proximity in food distribution through the establishment of food banks and projects like community refrigerators.
Dr. Muñoz, in the aforementioned study, provides several recommendations, including that laws should explain the relevance of regulating FLW, implement measures to evaluate the effects of their application, and adopt a broad approach (not just food donation). Additionally, laws should include measures to prevent discarding food based on appearance criteria and indicate an order of beneficiaries for non-food uses. They should also consider the state's role in food service projects such as school canteens and the adoption of public policies, as well as implementing education and training programs to change people's habits. Finally, the private sector should be encouraged through fiscal incentives to make food donation more attractive than destruction or disposal.
States have various options to reduce FLW, such as implementing national policies, educational campaigns to raise awareness among consumers, investing in new technologies, and enacting legislative measures. In the latter case, it is important for Latin American countries that do not yet have FLW legislation to implement harmonized policies and laws with an evaluation system for their implementation. This way, states can play a role in preventing FLW by encouraging food donation, improving technology, establishing standard labeling, promoting educational programs, and taking other actions to address this issue.
References:
a) FAO. Food Loss and Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean. [FAO Report](http://www.fao.org/americas/noticias/ver/es/c/239393/)
b) FAO. 2019. The State of Food and Agriculture 2019. Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction. Rome. [FAO Report](http://www.fao.org/3/ca6030es/ca6030es.pdf)
c) UN. Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. [UN SDG 12](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/sustainable-consumption-production/)
d) FAO. 2017. Food Loss and Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean Fourth Bulletin. [FAO Bulletin](http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7248s.pdf)
e) Muñoz Ureña, H.A. 2021. Legislative Advances on the Prevention and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste in Latin America and the Caribbean. FAO Legislative Study No. 116. Rome, FAO. [FAO Study](https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2889es)
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