Addressing climate change and protecting the environment are among the greatest challenges of our time, and food loss and waste (FLW) is a major contributor to both issues. A workshop on “Food Loss and Waste Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa” was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 17-18 April 2024.

The workshop which brought together active food loss and waste stakeholders from across SSA discussed regional context and circumstances for action on food loss and waste prevention, including the challenges and options for action at policy and practice level.

The two-day workshop was jointly organized by the Thünen Institute (Germany), the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (New Zealand), the UN Sustainable Development Solution Network (France) and the University of Nairobi (Kenya).

New Zealand, through the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) supported the workshop and was represented by Dr Ackim Mwape from the New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC). Dr Mwape delivered a keynote address during the opening of the workshop where he emphasized the need to quantify the magnitude, composition, and geographical location of lost and discarded foods. He stressed that:

“Enhanced knowledge and awareness of where along the food chain, for which foods, and in which countries, the greatest food losses are produced, is essential to decide where and how to target prevention efforts in the most effective way”.

The outcome of the workshop was a convergence of three overarching challenges and priorities across the region:
Quantifying and tracking of FLW at all stages of the food supply chain.
Commitment to report FLW by all actors in the food chain, addressing existing data gaps.
Awareness and education of the population on FLW prevention.

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