Every year, the world throws out about 1.3 billion tons of food valued at USD 1 trillion. Food waste also creates a greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint bigger than many countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has also put a strain on vulnerable communities, farmers, producers, and small medium enterprises. The pandemic has triggered a wake-up call on food systems and it is a clear call to action for businesses, development agencies, institutions, and government to strengthen the efforts to reduce food loss and waste towards ensuring food safety and security for all.

Reducing food loss and waste can bring about benefits to society such as:

o   Increased productivity and economic growth

o   Reduction in GHG

o   Increased in food availability to most vulnerable

Tackling food loss is therefore essential to increase efficiency in the way our food is produced, distributed, and consumed.

On 28 September 2021, the Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and Covestro will conduct an online event titled “Agriculture Resilient to Pandemic’s Impact: Transforming Food Systems to Reduce Loss and Waste”. The event is in conjunction with the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (#FLWDay). Covestro, AFA, and their partners will be sharing their experiences and initiatives on transforming food systems to reduce loss and waste. The event will also be an opportunity to get farmers and other stakeholders to take actions on #FLWDay.

The online event will focus on fruits and spice, with panel experts to share their perspectives from challenges to postharvest as a potential solution and economic viability at the main session. Thereafter, participants will adjourn to two breakout groups (Fruits and Spice) to deep dive into their respective categories.

o   Drying techniques

o   Food standards

o   Value-added (Packaging and marketing)

AFA and Covestro will put together a panel expert comprised of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), development agencies, farmers’ organizations, and agricultural cooperatives.

Objective

Call to action for businesses, development agencies, institutions, and government to strengthen the efforts to reduce food loss and turning it into economic value

Focus

Fruits and spices

Target audience

SMEs, farmers cooperatives, food producers, government

Organizers

The webinar is organized by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) with support from COVESTRO and the Asia Pacific Farmers Program (APFP).

Language

This webinar will be in English.

Live streaming

This event will be streamed live through the AFA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AsianFarmers.

For more information, visit here.

Or Register here.