Expert consultation- Food Loss and Waste Reduction for Transforming Agrifood Systems in the Near East and North Africa: Towards a Regional Framework of Action

Food losses and waste (FLW) are a manifestation of poorly functioning agrifood systems with negative implications for food security and nutrition, climate change and environmental degradation including unsustainable use of scarce resources, such as water and land. Recent estimates by FAO (2019) and UNEP (2021) find that 14% of the food produced is lost and 17% is wasted along the supply chain, including at hospitality, catering and household level. In addition, there are varying levels of losses pre-harvest/slaughter, as well as loss in food quality, which are not accounted for in the FLW estimate.

FAO’s Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa gathered experts and practitioners to lend their voice and expertise in a multi stakeholder consultation on the priorities and challenges for food loss and food waste reduction for transforming agrifood systems in NENA. 

The rational is based on the FAO Voluntary Code of Conduct for FLW reduction and forms part of a process towards the development of a Regional Framework of Action for FLW Reduction that aligns the actions and guiding principles of the Voluntary Code of Conduct to the NENA regional context, including climate change, conflict and protracted crisis and agrifood system transformation.

The expert consultation on April 19th, 2022 will gather experts from research and academia, civil society, public and private sectors working on FLW reduction activities in NENA countries, to lend their voice and expertise to,
- Identifying the priorities, challenges and needs of NENA member countries in relation to FLW reduction to contribute to the transformation of agrifood systems.
- Discussing the FAO Voluntary Code of Conduct for FLW reduction and how to align it to the NENA regional context.
- Identifying best practices, initiatives and partnerships in the region on FLW reduction

Provisional Agenda
The regional consultation take place on 19 April 2022 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (GMT+2).

Time	Subject
Moderator: Jennifer Smolak, Value Chains and Agribusiness Specialist, FAO-RNE
Opening Session
11:00 – 11:15	Opening remarks: Roadmap towards a Regional Framework of Action and desired outcomes of the consultation Maryam Rezaei, Agro-Industry Officer, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa
11:15 – 11:35	Introducing the FAO Voluntary Code of Conduct on FLW reduction Divine Njie, Deputy Director, Food Safety and Food Systems Division, FAO HQ Question & Answers
Towards a Regional Framework of Action for FLW Reduction
11:35 – 12:10	Breakout group discussion around five guiding questions: (Participants will be allocated according to sub region and language) 1. What are some of the key challenges in your national agrifood systems leading to FLW? 2. Which actions to address secondary and systemic causes of FLW are priorities in addressing the FLW situation in your country (reference to Article 4 of the Code of Conduct for FLW)? 3. How can regional efforts help to advance or orient national or subnational FLW reduction actions? 4. Who are the key actors, institutions, governing bodies at national and subnational level involved in FLW reduction and what are the major achievements reached by them so far?
12:10 – 12:30	Group rapporteurs report back to plenary (maximum 5 minutes each)
12:30 – 12:50	Open discussion in Plenary
12:50 – 1:00	Closing remarks Maryam Rezaei, Agro-Industry Officer, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa