Let’s take action on the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is held for the third time on September 29, 2022. This day will make it top-of-mind for both the public and the private sectors to prioritise actions and is an opportunity to call to action and move ahead with innovation to reduce food loss and waste towards restoring and building back better and resilient-ready, food systems.

We need to be aware of the importance of the food loss and waste issue and have to promote global efforts toward resolving it. That is why, in 2019, the 74th United Nations General Assembly designated 29 September as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, recognizing the fundamental role that sustainable food production plays in promoting food security and nutrition.

Why is it important to reduce food loss and waste?

Food loss and waste subvert sustainability which we strive to take seriously when it comes to food systems.  Wasted or otherwise lost food results in a total waste of all the resources that were used to produce this food – including water, land, energy, labor and capital. Climate change is also affected by the disposal of foods in landfills which leads to greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it also has a negative impact on the security and accessibility of food and contributes to a negative impact on the economic aspect as well.

If there is no sustainability, the food systems are not able to be resilient as we want. Therefore we need to focus more on the approaches that are integrated and designed to reduce food loss and waste. Taking action both locally and globally is a requirement to get the most use out of the produced food. Introducing innovative and technological solutions together with new working practices on how to manage food quality and reduce food loss and waste is the key to implementing this progressive and transformative change we need to keep supporting.

Let us find the key to preventing food loss and waste

If we are to reduce the amount of food being lost or wasted, everybody from food manufacturers to food supply chain holders and food industries, retailers and consumers need to work together and share their knowledge. Innovations along the food chain to create new products, solutions and technologies are crucial for reducing global food loss and waste.

With eight years left to reach targets 1, 2, and 3 of Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG), there is an urgent need to accelerate action to reduce food loss and waste. Let’s stand together and support the goal on September 29.

Be inspired by Danish solutions and technologies that can support the reduction of food loss and waste throughout the value chain in the case collection.