FAO highlights transformative potential of reducing food loss and waste in the Near East and North Africa

Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) can play a significant role in strengthening food security, improving resource efficiency and building more resilient agrifood systems across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlighted at a regional event marking the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) 2026.

Organized by FAO’s Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE), in collaboration with FAO global and regional offices, including FAO Africa (RAF) and FAO Asia and the Pacific (RAP), the hybrid event brought together technical experts and stakeholders to share experiences, discuss implementation challenges and identify opportunities for practical actions.

Held under the 2026 theme, “The Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste”, the event underscored the importance of addressing FLW throughout agrifood value chains, from production and post-harvest handling to retail, food services and households.

“Reducing food loss and waste is an important opportunity to make better use of the resources invested in producing food, while strengthening food security and the sustainability of agrifood systems”, said Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, in his opening remarks. He emphasized the importance of coordinated action and stronger engagement across agrifood systems to translate this potential into tangible results.

In his scene-setting speech, “Regional priorities and challenges for unlocking the transformative potential of food loss and waste reduction”, Moustapha Mohamed, Food Safety and Quality Officer and FLW Regional Focal Point at FAO RNE, highlighted the regional context and the need to translate priorities into practical action. The issue is particularly relevant for the NENA region, where water scarcity, climate variability, infrastructure constraints and dependence on food imports place additional pressure on agrifood systems. Preventing avoidable losses and waste can help retain more food for human consumption, reduce unnecessary pressure on natural resources and support more efficient and sustainable supply chains.

According to FAO, 13.3 percent of food was lost globally in 2023, from post-harvest stages up to, but excluding, retail. Separately, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that 19 percent of food available to consumers was wasted at retail, food service and household levels in 2022. These figures highlight the scale of the challenge across different stages of the agrifood system.

From global commitments to practical solutions

The programme explored FAO’s global and regional initiatives to reduce FLW, alongside practical approaches and country experiences. Presentations covered measurement and monitoring, policy guidance, behavioural science, intervention design, regional approaches, post-harvest management and circular economy solutions.

Luciana Delgado Otero, Technical Adviser at DDCG, presented FAO’s global support to countries, highlighting the Food Loss Index (FLI), FLAPP, Optiwaste, the Voluntary Code of Conduct, and FAO’s knowledge-sharing platforms and partnerships. She emphasized the importance of data-driven policies, cost-effective value-chain solutions and stronger national capacities.

Julia Hammann, Innovation Specialist in Behavioural Science at FAO’s Office of Innovation, presented behavioural approaches to FLW reduction. She highlighted the importance of understanding behavioural barriers and designing, testing and adapting interventions to encourage lasting changes in practices.

Jean Ndjana, Rural Development Specialist at FAO RNE, presented approaches to designing FLW reduction interventions, emphasizing measurable targets, identifying causes and critical loss points, implementing context-specific solutions, and monitoring results.

Meeta Punjabi Mehta and Brayen Ariel from FAO RAP shared Asia-Pacific experiences, highlighting five areas of work: evidence and measurement, policy and governance, technical solutions and investment, urban food systems, and capacity development and partnerships. They also presented examples of post-harvest improvements, city-level initiatives and circular economy solutions, including converting food waste into energy and fertilizer.

Fatou Kiné Cissé, Project Coordinator at FAO Senegal, presented the Senegal experience in reducing post-harvest losses across priority value chains. She highlighted practical solutions, including improved storage, handling, cooling and processing, alongside policy support, capacity development, market linkages and investment. She stressed the importance of preventing losses at source, redistributing safe surplus food and recovering value from unavoidable waste.

Fatma Bouallegui, Agricultural Policies Specialist at FAO Tunisia, presented FAO’s work with the Municipality of Tunis on urban FLW reduction. She highlighted the municipal strategy, four-pillar approach, Municipal Academy and Zéro Gâchi initiative, demonstrating how local partnerships, institutional capacity and youth engagement can advance circular-economy solutions.

The presentations emphasized that effective FLW reduction requires reliable data, context-specific technical and behavioural interventions, supportive policies, stronger capacities and partnerships to translate successful approaches into sustained action and wider impact.

Strengthening regional cooperation and follow-up

A moderated discussion led by Moustapha Mohamed and the speakers examined the technical, behavioural, institutional and financing barriers that continue to limit progress. Participants considered which interventions offer the greatest practical potential in NENA, how measurement and data can better identify critical loss points and guide action, and what prevents proven practices from being adopted at scale. The discussion also explored how governments, value-chain actors, civil society and the private sector can collaborate more effectively, and what regional cooperation and follow-up would be most useful.

The exchange highlighted the importance of translating data and pilot experience into practical interventions, policy support and approaches that can be scaled up. It also underlined the value of engaging young people not only as beneficiaries, but as contributors to locally designed solutions through technical guidance, capacity development, mentorship, innovation opportunities and participation in implementation and decision-making. The Tunis experience provided a concrete example of youth engagement through municipal initiatives and the CDC–FAO agreement.

The event reaffirmed that reducing FLW requires action across the entire agrifood system, supported by stronger measurement, appropriate policies, investment, capacity development and sustained partnerships.

Regional cooperation will be essential to share lessons, identify opportunities for joint action and develop solutions suited to the specific needs of NENA countries.

As countries work towards Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3, which calls for halving per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains by 2030, FAO continues to support efforts to make agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

The regional exchange marked an opportunity to move from awareness to implementation, reinforcing the transformative potential of reducing FLW for people, the environment and the future of agrifood systems.