Food Loss and Waste Reduction Workshop in the 2017 APEC Food Security Week in Can Tho City Vietnam
The 2017 APEC Capacity Building Workshop on Food Losses and Waste Reduction for a Sustainable APEC Food System was held on august 19th as part of the several activities organized for the APEC Food Security Week in Can Tho City Vietnam from August 18 to 25, 2017. This one-day workshop on food losses and waste (FLW) gathered fourteen speakers from APEC economies and other economies around the world to share measurement methods, innovative technologies, project outcomes, and future course of action for reaching the APEC economies’ goal of reducing FLW by 10% by 2020. Delegates from public and private organizations participated in this APEC workshop where they were able to discuss different aspects surrounding the topic of FLW in their respective economies and also to present how their economies are trying to reduce losses and waste across the entire food value chain.
The FLW capacity building workshop was divided into 4 panel sessions and a wrap-up session. Session 1 reflected that the reduction of FLW can contribute to food security and to a sustainable food system; however, FLW reduction requires a common understanding of the concept of FLW, better measurement, studies at the micro, meso and macro levels, and concrete targets and actions. Session 2 explored different private initiatives to reduce FLW and the necessities for promoting further cooperation between public and private sectors in the APEC region. Session 3 presented experiences from different APEC fora and opportunities that arise from actions such as investment in cold chains, connectivity of grain standards, adoption of new technologies, and support and expansion of the service industry. Session 4 showed that the time for actions is now, specifically to bring in policy priorities, build up partnerships, and seek for incentives to mobilize all stake holders.
The final wrap-up session outlined key messages and next steps which include an APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Reducing Food Losses and Waste, the completion of a project final report with policy recommendations and a set of practical guidelines based on each economy’s situation, and the dissemination of project results via the APEC-FLOWS website.
