This side event of the FAO Council will launch the FAO and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Technical Platform on Food Loss and Waste and highlight knowledge and concrete steps required to scale-up food loss and waste prevention and reduction. 

During the Turkish G20 Presidency, FAO provided significant inputs to the G20 work both on agriculture and development. In May 2015, the G20 Agriculture Ministers invited FAO together with IFPRI to establish a platform, building on existing systems, for sharing information and experiences in measuring and reducing food loss and waste. The Ministers strongly supported the Technical Platform on Food Loss and Waste as the major practical outcome of the meeting which was also endorsed by at the G20 Leaders Antalya Communiqué in November 2015. The Platform welcomes world-wide members and will also work on solutions for low-income countries.

Purpose

The side event will provide an appropriate forum for the launch of the Technical Platform on Food Loss and Waste by FAO and IFPRI, allowing for discussion and concrete engagement in this action. The event will add to the political momentum for greater action coordination aimed at reducing food loss and waste globally. In 2014 FAO has set up the Global Initiative on Food losses and Waste Reduction with its partner organizations. The event will be crucial in raising awareness among member countries for the need to coordinate global efforts in measuring and reducing food loss and waste within the context of the Agenda 2030 and for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3.

Agenda

Welcome by the Chairperson, Presidency of the G20 (China); Ambassador Dun Niu, China;
Statement by FAO Director-General, Mr. José Graziano da Silva;
Statement by IFPRI Director General, Mr. Shenggen Fan;
Statement by Outgoing G20 Presidency (Turkey); Ms. Sinem Mingan, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Turkey;
Brief technical presentation of the Platform by the Agro-industry Division, FAO;
Mr. Divine Njie, Deputy Director, Rural Infrastructure and Agro-industries Division;

Reflections on support for the Technical Platform on Food Loss and Waste by:

• Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha, Permanent Representative of Brazil to FAO
• Ms. Graziella Romito, Director, Division for International and European Policies, Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, Italy
• Mr. Khaled El-Taweel, Alternate Permanent Representative of Egypt to FAO
• Mr. Abreha Aseffa, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to Rome-based UN Agencies
• Ambassador François Pythoud, Permanent Representative, Permanent Representation of Switzerland to FAO, IFAD and WFP
• Mr. John Norris, Minister Counsellor for Agriculture, Permanent Representative of the USA to FAO

Responsible office: Agro-Industries Division (AGS)

Languages: Chinese, English, French and Spanish

Media: #FLWPlatform and fao.org/webcast