Reduce waste to feed the world 
Rome, May 11, 2011 - Nearly one third of the food produced each year worldwide for human consumption-about 1 300 million tonnes, is lost or wasted, says a study commissioned by FAO.
The report Global food waste and food-losses (losses and wastage of food in the world) was commissioned by FAO to the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK) for the International Congress Save Food! (Save food!, Ndr) held in Düsseldorf (Germany) from 16 to 17 May 2011 within the international industry trade show on Interpack2011 packaging.
Among other key findings include:
• Countries industrialized and developing squandered roughly the same amount of food: 670 and 630 million tons respectively.
• Each year, consumers in rich countries waste the same amount of food (222 million tonnes) than the entire net food production sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tons).
· The fruits and vegetables, as well as roots and tubers, are foods with the highest rate of wastage.
• The amount of food that is lost or wasted every year is equivalent to over half the world grain harvest (2 300 million tonnes in 2009/2010).
losses and waste
The report distinguishes between food losses and waste of them. The losses, which may occur at the stage of production, harvesting, post-harvest and processing-are higher in developing countries due to the precarious infrastructure, low technology and lack of investment in systems food production.
food wastage is a major problem in industrialized countries, in most cases caused by both retailers and by consumers, food throwing away perfectly edible. Waste per capita among consumers is of 95-115 kg per year in Europe and North America, while in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and Southeast Asia are thrown only between 6-11 kg per person.
total food production per capita for human consumption is around 900 kg per year in rich countries, nearly double compared to the 460 kg produced in the poorest regions. In developing countries 40 percent of the losses occurring in stages of post-harvest and processing, whereas in industrialized countries more than 40 percent of the losses is at the level of retail and consumer.
food losses during harvest and storage resulting in loss of income for small farmers and higher prices for poor consumers, the report said. Reducing these losses might mean for both "immediate and significant impact" on the livelihoods and food security.
squandered resources and wasted Loss waste also pose significant resources, including water, land, energy, labor and capital, together with the unnecessary production of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming and climate change.
The report offers several tips on how to reduce losses and waste.
In developing countries, the problem is basically the use of improper collection techniques, logistics management and poor post-harvest and lack of infrastructure, processing and appropriate packaging. This is compounded by the lack of marketing information that would allow a better adaptation of production to demand.
therefore be advisable to strengthen food supply chain, supporting small farmers to link directly with buyers. Public and private sectors should also invest more in infrastructure, transport, processing and packaging.
countries in middle and high income, losses and waste derived mostly consumer behavior, but also the lack of communication between the different actors in the supply chain.
appearance takes too much At the level of retail sales also waste large amounts of food due to the quality standards that give excessive importance to appearance. Surveys indicate that consumers are willing to buy products that do not meet the requirements of appearance if they are safe and taste good. Thus, consumers have the power to influence the quality standards and should, according to the report.
Another suggestion is to sell agricultural products to consumers more directly, without having to meet the quality standards of supermarkets. They could get by selling at farmers markets and farms.
should be an appropriate use of food that would otherwise be wasted. Commercial organizations and charities can work with retailers to collect or use products for the trash but they are still appropriate in terms of safety, taste and nutritional value.
Change consumer attitude Consumers in rich countries are often encouraged to buy more food than they need. Promotions such as "Buy three, pay two" are an example, and another would be too heavy-cooked meals produced by the food industry. Often restaurants offer buffets for a fixed price that encourage customers to fill the food dish.
The report says that overall, consumers are unable to plan appropriate way to shop for food. This means that often break down food when you pass the date set for "best before".
education in schools and policy initiatives are possible starting points for changing consumer attitudes, the study suggests. Consumers in rich countries should learn to throw food unnecessarily is unacceptable.
should also make them aware of that because of the limited availability of natural resources, is more effective to reduce food losses to increase production to feed a growing world population.
A separate report dedicated to the packaging of food in developing countries and is also prepared for Congress Save Food! is pointed out that proper packaging is a key factor influencing the losses in almost all levels of the food chain.
