Champions Call to Reduce Global Food Loss and Waste

At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, a coalition of 30 leaders launched Champions 12.3,an effort to create political, business and social momentum to reduce food loss and waste around the world. In doing so, the coalition complements the 12^th Sustainable Development Goal which focusses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production, and more specifically the target aimed at reducing food loss and waste.

Yet reducing food loss and waste will not be easy. An astounding share of food is currently lost or wasted between “the farm and the fork” – with  32 percent of all food by weight and 24 percent of all food in calories not being consumed. This illustrates that reducing food loss is a challenge of historic proportions. 

Furthermore, food that is ultimately lost or wasted consumes about a quarter of all water used by agriculture, is responsible for an estimated 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and requires an area of cropland the size of China.

Champions 12.3 will complement ongoing UN efforts such as SAVE FOOD and Think.Eat.Save, as well as other initiatives such as EU FUSIONS, the global Food Loss & Waste Protocol, private sector action and more. By lending their voice to new and existing food loss and waste reduction efforts, the Champions have the potential to accelerate progress on an SDG target we all can rally around.

Full article: http://bit.ly/1OJiZWw