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Consultative workshop on sustainable food value chain with focus on food services and tourism sector - 8th April The discussions of the workshop focused on existing initiatives of the tourism sector and have identified a number of enablers, challenges and gaps that exist at the food service stage of the food value chain, as well as its interlinkages with other stages, mainly that of primary production, individual consumption, as well as with policy environment. Opportunities and enablers - Establishing linkages between local producers and actors of the tourism sector provides multiple benefits... قراءة المزيد. It gives market access for local farmers and the opportunity to diversify their production; and, on the other hand, allows the actors of the tourism sector to offer fresh, nutritious meals to their customers made from local products. - Sustainable procurement practices play an important role in establishing this link and maximizing local sourcing practices. These practices should not be applied in a way that disadvantages some famers over others. - Training of procurers as well as kitchen staff is essential in this process as it allows to minimize waste and maximize the value of the food served. - A greater opportunity exists when tourism sector actors not only purchase their products from local farmers, but establish long-term relationship with them, contributing to their training, logistics, access to innovation and technology related to such practices as agro-ecology, agrobiodiversity, avoidance of heavy pesticides and fertilizers and overall positively influencing the resource use and environmental impacts of the primary production and help diversify the offer. - Developing sustainable menus adapted to local requirements and training of kitchen staff on topics related to food waste, resource efficiency, sustainable diets, etc. undertaken in parallel with consumer awareness activities contributes to building the demand for such meals and improve the sustainability of food preparation. - Farm tourism is another opportunity to assure additional revenue for producers, as well as being an educational and awareness raising approach. - Repurposing surplus food has multiple simultaneous benefits: it helps to avoid food waste and supports local communities by redistributing good and nutritious food to those in need (link to circularity in the food sector) - Linking the issue of addressing food loss and waste as a way to reduce carbon footprint and improve cost efficiency is an important enabler for this topic to be addressed by the tourism sector more broadly. - Digitalization of data on food loss and waste, its monitoring and accessibility to actors of the tourism sector, including chefs and policy makers. - Making the economic case to tackle food loss and waste which results in positive return on investment is another opportunity to address it. Challenges and gaps - The burden of bearing the costs associated with sustainable production often fall on farmers, putting them in disadvantaged position. Adopting sustainable farming practices and being able to farm diverse local varieties of food should be economically viable for farmers for this to become common practice. - Prevention and reduction of food loss and waste remains a challenge for the tourism sector. - One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme, through its Advisory Group on Food Loss and Waste in Tourism sector, has identified the following gaps: Absence of sectoral baseline on food waste and loss; Absence/lack of strategic vision on company level with milestones that could be transposed into actions plans locally; Lack of continuity in measurement of waste and lack of consistent annual reporting on progress; Punctual and non-recurring character of activities aiming at reducing food waste and absence of consistent follow up; and levers to address food waste and loss are not identified in comprehensive and systemic manner (lack of value chain and circular approaches, solutions such as sustainable procurement not always clearly identified and prioritized). Based on the gaps identified the Programme aims to develop the Roadmap on food loss and waste in tourism. قراءة القليل

The food value chain analysis showed that the middle stages of the food value chain -- controlled by food companies across trading, processing and packaging, retail and food services -- are structurally powerful and have a disproportionate influence across both primary production and final consumption. Actors at these stages have a huge impact on the activities at either end in determining both what food farmers produce and what food consumers buy. The analysis of the food value chain identified three core challenges: 1) How we produce food: The majority of natural-resource use and environment... قراءة المزيدal impacts takes place during production. Changing production practices is critical to using resources more efficiently and sustainably, while causing less damage to the environment. 2) How much food we produce and consume: One-third of all food produced is either lost at the production, transportation or processing stages, or wasted downstream in the food at the retail, food service and consumption stages. 3) What types of food we produce and consume: Different types of food can embody large differences in the natural resources used and environmental impacts caused along the stages of the value chain including production processing, transportation, and disposal. The value chain analysis has shown that whereas the majority of natural resource use happens at the primary production stages, it is the structurally powerful actors in the middle stages of the value chain who are well-positioned to shift production practices. In the examples presented during the food value-chain consultations, most ideas around shifting production techniques involved capacity building of primary producers or facilitating access to finance. Missing, however, is a more holistic view of how the decisions made further downstream in the value chain (by traders, food processors and manufacturers, retails and food service providers) could systemically change the production patterns. The projects tend to focus on raising awareness around sustainability or increasing the capacity of farmers to produce sustainably without addressing the underlying constraints and bottlenecks inherent in the current economic system (e.g. short-term contracts, short-term profit concerns) instituted by the actors in the middle of the value chain. The importance of having the right policy environment in place was highlighted in all workshops. From the issue of financing for smallholder producers, to enabling policy environments which incite retailers to select local materials, to the procurement practices of governments and private entities. Procurement in particular was highlighted as a major opportunity to reduce environmental impacts through local sourcing, and increase consciousness around healthy eating. It was noted, however, that procurement rules are often voluntary and done piecemeal on a local basis. The importance of data and information flow within value chains is crucial to ensure accountability, traceability and an accurate picture of the impact of production practices. This necessitates a clear, science-based picture on the one hand, based on rigorous research and measurement. In terms of solutions, various technologies were proposed often as a way to shorten the distance between producer and consumer, and also to make sustainable (or unsustainable practices) more visible. Such technologies include online platforms, blockchain, etc. Multistakeholder initiatives were also proposed as a way to increase transparency and accountability across a broad range of actors. The incentives, however, need to be aligned so that the main actors in the middle of the value chains take these solutions on board. The incentive structure of the global food value-chain, derived from the current global economic system, does not promote sustainable consumption and production practices. Contracts between suppliers and buyers tend to be short term, and producers do not have a long enough time horizon to commit to more sustainable production practices. The incentives are geared towards the short term, in terms of the contractual arrangements and profits. If the cost of producing more sustainably falls on the producer, and their visibility of the value chain stops at their immediate buyer, there is not incentive to produce more sustainably. Guaranteeing longer contracts, or certain volume purchases, is necessary. There are examples of major players in the middle of the value chain putting in place initiatives to improve the situation, such as responsible sourcing quotas. Consumers are largely shaped by their food environment, and there is a need to address the paradox between actors at middle stages of the food value chain not providing healthy and sustainable food due to the lack of consumer demand, and consumers not being able to demonstrate this demand due to a lack of sustainable food choices. However it is important to note that plurality of reasons affect the supply of and demand for sustainable products. These could be but are not limited to market-driven demand; profitability and accessibility; social and cultural environment. قراءة القليل

Strengthening the science-policy interface by adopting the value-chain approach is one of the key pillars in strengthening multilateral cooperation on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Building on the findings of the joint task group of the International Resource Panel and the One Planet network presented in the report “Catalysing science-based policy action on sustainable consumption and production: the value-chain approach and its application to food, construction and textiles”, the One Planet network held consultations throughout 2021 to collectively define priorities objectives f... قراءة المزيدor Sustainable Consumption and Production. The aim was to continue with the application of the value-chain approach in the high-impact sectors of food, construction and plastics and thereby ensuring its scientific foundation. These three sectors are prioritised based on the Fourth UN Environment Assembly Resolution, and the One Planet recommendations to the High-Level Political Forum. The value-chain approach is a methodology for science-based policy action on sustainable consumption and production. Its purpose is to identify key points of intervention within economic systems to reduce natural-resource use and environmental impacts caused by production and consumption, and to define prioritised objectives to transform the system. Critically, the value-chain approach goes beyond an understanding of where resource use and environmental impacts occur, to understand why this is happening and what the key points of intervention are for science-based policy action. Shaping clear priorities for the food sector Through consultation and collaboration, the Value-Chain Approach identifies where solutions already exist at key intervention points, and where there are gaps and opportunities, and defines a clear priorities that can transform the system. This participatory approach taps into the bodies of lay and practical knowledge that are collectively held among SCP practitioners, as well as ensuring their crucial buy-in for the implementation of prioritised objectives. Food sector was the focus of the first set of consultations series concentrating on innovative business and policy solutions, which was undertaken in April and May 2021 in the form of 5 expert workshops, each focusing on the prioritised stages of the food value-chain: - Food services and tourism, 8th April - Agricultural inputs, food traders and primary production, 15th April - Food processing/manufacturing and retail, 22nd April - Individual consumption, 29th April - Food-related policies and policy instruments, 6th May The objectives of these workshops were to socialise the findings of the report, present key messages, opportunities and challenges identified during the consultative workshops and engage with experts to contribute to the development of clear priorities for the food sector. قراءة القليل

Our key outcomes, actions to be taken and challenges are highlighted under four different questions that were answered during the session and are as follows. Challenges in addressing climate and disaster risks along the agricultural supply and value chain to build resilient food systems Implement policy changes towards more inclusive and participatory actions Build capacity of vulnerable communities by increasing the awareness of climate and disaster risks on food systems Ensure better coordination between the government and the ground level individuals and all stakeholders in general Build ca... قراءة المزيدpacity on financial literacy of farmers and agricultural communities Establish proper early warning systems and entrust its sustainability and ownership to the community Conduct comprehensive research and develop tools to broaden research prospects Share knowledge and technology on innovations and global best practices including regenerative farming, mangrove restoration and agro-forestry that indirectly benefit agriculture; on alternative methodologies including hydroponics, micro irrigation etc that are not as water intensive and indigenous seed varieties Conduct evidence-based research and share with all stakeholders Encourage micro insurance and crop insurance among farming communities Challenges in addressing climate and disaster risks to ensure universal food access Providing a stable price to the farmer without a mediator to localise the food supply chain/ shorten the food supply chain Encouraging Farmers to do agriculture as per market demand and not on the anticipation of demand and also link food production with nutritional needs Conduct training for farmers to innovate and formulate new ideas Ensure fair trade approaches as well as capacity building on the importance of fair trade Implementation of a community level certification system Establishing strategic food reserves Adopt integrated agricultural systems Reduction of food waste/ excess sale harvest at a lower price Developing databases for food production Solutions to harness existing or innovative finance mechanisms to enhance food system resilience Capacity building on finance mechanisms and tools Introducing innovative ways of accessing finance Promoting and applying quick finance approaches Identification of farmer success stories and supporting them through positive reinforcement Providing special loans for farmers Providing blended finance mechanism options Capacity building of farmers and providing farmers with training and access to experts and advisors Encouraging production of high-yield agricultural crops Compiling a centralised and analysed database to put to ensure the more effective use of existing and new data that will drive innovative solutions Encouraging younger farmers and newer generations on the importance of pursuing agriculture Encouraging more private sector participation Solutions for vulnerable agricultural communities and groups to access finance Implementing government-lead processes for vulnerable communities to access funding. To also implement loan schemes that would enable the government to act or a guarantor when needed. Financial guidelines to ensure ease of access for communities that are not controlled by different actors Setting up other funding mechanisms to directly reach vulnerable communities Encouraging youth and young farmers to adopt agriculture and farming by collaborating with existing youth and women groups Making farmers active participants in workshops and capacity building programmes Encouraging public private partnerships Developing insurance products that represent issues and challenges of vulnerable agricultural communities Building capacity across the farming community to increase trust among insurance products Strengthening links between supply and value chain actors قراءة القليل

The Dialogue comprised keynote speakers and panellists including: Prof Saleemul Huq - Director, ICCCAD and AT5 leadership team Chair; Mr Lesley Ndlovu - CEO at ARC Ltd.; Mr Duncan Williamson - Founder, Nourish Food Systems; Daniel Stadtmüller - Team Lead and Senior Advisor, InsuResilience Global Partnership; Ruwani de Silva - Coordinator, Global Youth Forum on Climate Change and Mr Dennis Mombauer - Director Research and Knowledge Management, SLYCAN Trust. During the Dialogue as well as the breakout sessions the following findings emerged: Blended financing mechanisms could enhance small proj... قراءة المزيدects/initiatives locally owned by women and youth Systematic approaches need to be utilised for effective risk analysis Innovations could help to ensure food security including community gardens utilising vertical farming tools Enacting food as a public good could help to ensure universal food access Implementing climate risk profiling, using AI to tailor local weather patterns with soil/agricultural practices Empowering women’s agency and leadership can greatly enhance the development of resilience solutions Integrated approaches for sustainable soil management can facilitate regenerative agriculture and reap both economic and environmental benefits Community-based decision-making mechanisms and information systems are crucial for comprehensive risk management in food systems In addition to the above, the discussion also brought to light certain challenges in relation to climate risk management and food systems, which have been divided into four key areas as follows. Challenges in addressing climate and disaster risks along the agricultural supply and value chain to build resilient food systems Lack of information in the locality of the farmers leading to them selling their products at a lower price Distribution and less access to the actions for farmers Limited stakeholder participation and the lack of coordination between institution and its stakeholders The cost of the risk transfer solutions and its availability. Lack of Infrastructure and access to digital spaces. The lack of access to resilient seeds and the increase in the prices of agricultural produce Challenges in addressing climate and disaster risks to ensure universal food access Price monopolies in the market affecting small scale farmers and presenting barriers to compete both locally and internationally Lack of access to resources such as finance and technology. Lack of access to markets and market information Technological and technical knowledge gap in access between large and small farmers Agriculture sector taking a back seat during national decision-making Challenges to harness existing or innovative finance mechanisms to enhance food system resilience Lack of awareness or trust in available financial tools amongst farmers Lack of financial literacy amongst farmers and the capacity to use the tools Lack of access to digitised data and available data not being accessible due to language Lack of centralised data collection and dissemination Lack of trust in new/novel financial models, often as a result of previous mechanisms that have failed Lack of gender-disaggregated data to introduce products that would help address gender-specific vulnerabilities Challenges for vulnerable agricultural communities and groups to access finance? Co-financing barriers in the current available financial tools Poor financial systems and management Lack of trust in financial institutions due to past experiences and lack of data and information, which needs to be addressed by bringing all stakeholders together at all levels of discussion Conflict and climate impacts, in particular on pastoralists and migrants Poor household cash flow Informal and unregistered food producers not being part of formal support systems Disputes over land and unclear/contested land ownership Lack of loan repayment capacity قراءة القليل

The Independent Dialogue organised on ‘Participatory and inclusive climate risk management for resilient and climate-friendly food systems’ under Action Track 5 aimed to achieve several objectives including: Gain further input on the roles of different stakeholders and multi-actor partnerships including government, the private sector, civil society, and local communities on addressing climate risks and vulnerabilities along the food production cycle and food supply and value chain. Identify through an inclusive and participatory process solutions to be introduced under Action Track 5, in p... قراءة المزيدarticular to the workstreams on environmental, social, and economic resilience and cross-cutting solutions to build resilience of the food systems and ensure universal access to food. Build on the technical capacity of key stakeholders working on the topic of climate risk management, climate risk transfer and climate insurance, to build resilience of the food systems. Identify entry points for integrating context-specific and holistic risk management approaches into national and international policies, plans, and processes and existing infrastructure to strengthen food systems. Highlight and further explore the role of Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, other relevant processes and mechanisms under the UNFCCC, and the SDGs in ensuring universal access to food. Integration of resilience-building among youth and women and the inclusion of gender and youth empowerment in planning and policy processes. Discuss implications of climate-related human mobility for food systems. Connect to just recovery from COVID-19, and resilience-building in food systems through just transition. Share knowledge, experiences, best practices, and lessons learned. قراءة القليل

Some of the government representatives present held a view that they were implementing programs that were sufficient enough to address hunger in their cities. They shared some initiatives they were leading which aligned with what was shared by the speakers. However, this is contrary to the statistics that we shared at the beginning of the dialogue where 1/5 Filipinos in Metro manila are hungry.

There is a critical need for greater collaboration between all stakeholders--government, private sector, non-profit organizations, and civil society to integrate food and nutrition security into urban city planning and execution. It is unfortunate that we were not able express or commit to a plan of action to implement what was discussed but we continue to be in contact with these city governments to see if they may be interested to explore food systems in more depth.

The focus of the dialogue was to find solution pathways in addressing urban hunger with a focus on collaborating with government leaders to consider implementing urban landscapes in city planning. We invited notable projects led by private and civil society as well as an urban planner who spoke about the urbanization of food to provide government leaders new ideas to consider as they plan their cities.

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5: Enabling access to harvest loss-reducing machinery through Machinery Cooperatives Mr. Wang Haibin, President, Haibin Agricultural Machinery Specialized Cooperative, Liyang City, Jiangsu Province: Li Yang County Haibin Farm Machinery Professional Cooperative Association was one of the first cooperatives of its kind in China. The model allows member farmers to gain access to heavy agricultural machinery with multiple ways of reducing food loss at various stages of the production cycle and storage. By the end of 2020, the cooperative owned 85 pieces of agricultural machinery, including large a... قراءة المزيدnd medium size tractors, rice transplanter, high-performance sprayers, rice harvester etc. The area covered by the cooperative includes 10 administrative villages in two towns. The annual production of processed rice is about 15,000 tons, with sales revenue of more than 90 million yuan and the agricultural machinery service income of 10 million yuan. To reach this point of their operations, the cooperative has benefited from a multi-channel approach of financing, including maximizing the use of subsidy policy for agricultural machinery and by making use of the loan policy issued by "Jiangsu Agricultural Financial Support Center" of the provincial Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department and loans from local financial institutions (commercial banks). The financing allowed adequate equipment of various types of machineries and improved ways of operation by the machinery cooperative, thus contributing to reducing food loss: In planting: 1. The cooperative gives members guidance on selection of suitable varieties of products. The grain varieties suits to local conditions, with high yield, consistency of maturity, lodging resistance to ensure good harvest and minimum loss before and after harvesting. 2. Support on scientifically proven efficient planting and mechanized transplanting etc., which are suitable to the specific crop varieties and soil conditions. Field Management 1. Selection of the right type of machinery, based on crops yield, height, maturity etc., and conduct a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the machines. 2. Reasonable on-site adaptation of machinery. The machines and tools should be adjusted to make each part of the machine works to its best when cutting; 3. The cooperative supports sustainable use of fertilizer and water. In order to ensure the better growing of roots, and realize better harvesting conditions after operation in the later stage. 4. Choice of a suitable harvest time, based on weather, crop maturity and soil moisture content etc. Harvesting 1. Choose the right procedure and patch for harvesting. Adjust the cutting path to the situation of field and ridge; Adjust the operation route to the field shape and size of the field. 2. Standardize operation of machinery. Select suitable operation speed based on the conditions of crop and soil. Transportation and drying 1. Select the appropriate transport machinery, reduce transport frequency, standardize the transport operation, and prevent leakage. 2. Standardize management of drying room. Standardize drying operation, enhance moisture control, avoid food loss caused by management disorder or improper operation (such as fire). 3. Reduce the times of grain transportation after drying. Processing and storage 1. It is necessary to carry out comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the processing and packaging machinery on a regular basis to avoid the loss from broken or leaked rice. 2. Standardize the process of milling rice and grain storage. Eliminate the loss from comminution, damp and mildew of grain caused by mismanagement. قراءة القليل

4. The “Grain Bank” solution to prevent food loss Mr. Zhang Chengzhu, General Manager, Gansu Huanxian County Xinliyuan Supply and Marketing Co. Ltd., Chairperson of Gansu Zefengxingcheng Agro-Products Farmer Cooperative: The Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Grain Bank operates a business model that has been proven to prevents loss of food and farmer’s income in several ways; by providing storage, credit and exchange solutions of agricultural products. Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Grain Bank" is a subsidiary of Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Supply and Marketing Co., Ltd. which does grain trade and process... قراءة المزيدing business. The Company collaborates with Zefengxingcheng Farmer Cooperatives in this grain banking business. The business model was developed based on the basic function of regular banking and related management concepts but transformed into an agricultural operating method, which incorporates aspects of digital agriculture, finance, quality control, logistics, and safe, efficient storage. The basic idea is to provide cooperative member farmers with “banking” of physical products which allows deposit and exchange of grain such as flax, wheat, corn and also for fertilizers etc. Farmers can at any time go to any of the branches of the Bank to do an account withdrawal of the same product, or exchange them for other products and goods. The framework structure of the Grain Bank includes one head office and multiple branches; the head office is responsible for the county's general database, and is responsible for the settlement of many branches and depositors throughout the county. The branch is responsible for the collection and storage of wheat, flax, corn and other crops. It is also responsible for food banking services such as printing passbooks and exchanging goods. Since the establishment of this model in 2018, the number of depositors has grown with a net increase of more than 100 each year, and the present number of depositors in the Grain Bank has reached 832. The members store an average of 15 tons of grain per household per year and an annual storage volume of 12,000 tons; the cumulative grain storage is around 40,000 Tons, of which 30,000 tons are exchanged. The specific operation process of the bank looks as follows: Process 1: Determine the prices of product according to market prices. Process 2: Deposite the grain and issue passbook, Process 3: Exchange business. According to their needs, the farmers can go to any branch of the Grain Bank to extract rice noodle oil, fertilizers, seeds, etc. with their passbook, according to the balance of their account. The operation characteristics of food banks are 1. free deposits and withdrawals. Farmers can choose the type of grain storage according to their personal preferences. 2. Preserve and increase the value during downturns in market prices, and save the grain with interest. 3. The exchange is convenient, and the head office is connected to the convenience chain stores. Farmers can exchange different varieties of grain and oil or other daily necessities at the “grain and oil supermarket” opened by the grain bank system with their “passbook”. 3. Three advantages of the “Grain Bank” solution: (1) Advantages for farmers: 1.Increase farmers' income: Grain stored bears interest at a higher rate than commercial bank desopit rate. 2. Reduce grain loss: Grain Bank has advanced storage facilities thus prevented losses from storage by farmers themselves. 3.Guarantee of supply of commodities: The bank offers exchanges for daily necessities at the grain bank business point to meet the basic needs of farmers' daily life. (2) Advantages for food processing actors: low-cost access to raw materials for grain processing enterprises, reducing the financial pressure of purchasing raw materials; reducing raw material inventory and transportation costs. (3) For the government's advantages: the model can stabilize grain supply and demand, reduce risk, improve farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain, and maintain rural economic and social stability and national food security. قراءة القليل

3. Inclusive access to finance and use of digitization in market estimates to enable food loss reduction Ms. Yan Ruoru, Deputy General Manager, Grain, Cotton, and Edible Oil Department, Agricultural Development Bank of China For many farmers, particularly smallholders, lacking financial means to implement food loss-reducing investments such as better storage solutions is a major impediment. One of the key actions needed in the food system to reduce food loss is therefore to financial innovation and incentive mechanisms. Since 1994, the Agriculture Development Bank of China (ADBC) was set up as... قراءة المزيد one of China’s Policy Banks with a set mandate to contribute to agricultural development and poverty alleviation. ADBC has introduced a loan system that covers every segment of the food supply chain, which includes a series of credit products to serve the whole industry of grains and oil in the processes of production, storage, purchase and sales, circulation, processing, supply etc. All these advancements have the potential to reduce food waste through making processes more efficient and streamlined. Furthermore, ADBC implement preferential credit policies to support and further incentivize reduction of grain waste and losses. Mr. Bai Chengyu, Director of UN Project Division III, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), Ministry of Commerce, China: To transform the food system, a better understanding of the food market will be needed to identify the causes of food loss and possible solutions. This will include how inefficient relations between supply and demand contributes to food loss. From the demand side, awareness raising is needed and the making of accurate consumption plans in advance can reduce food loss. From the supply side, in case food prices are undervalued, price adjustments are required; mismatch of demand and supply leads to loss and waste, which can be addressed by promoting more closely demand-drive production, including by using digital platforms to make agricultural product sales efficient and to mitigate asymmetric supply and demand information. Recent innovations in this area provide information to be used in big data calculations and AI-based food demand analysis to better predict demand and adjust production accordingly. Financial policy should be designed to support an efficient management mechanism between demand and supply side and establish direct links between the two sides. Furthermore, the supply chain system should be built on proximity to support locally produced commodities and avoid unnecessarily long transport, thus minimizing gaps in timing and distance. قراءة القليل

2: Reducing food loss and waste in supply chain Prof. Cao Baoming, Dean, Institute of Food Economics, Nanjing University of Finance & Economics Intangible Croplands from Sustainable Food Supply Chain • Cropland protection could well facilitate farmland development and food loss reduction virtually protects cropland resource. As one of key objectives of FSS, building Sustainable Food Supply Chain could contribute to the food loss reduction in supply chain as well as carbon emission reduction, which aims to achieve a sustainable food chain with resource efficient use upon less investment f... قراءة المزيدor ecological environment while producing quality and nutritious food. • The cooperation and engagement among international community, national governments, private sectors, and social organizations are critical for reducing food loss and waste. More efforts could be focused on 1. Enhancing food supply chain with efficient inputs 2. Building systemic technologies achieving food loss and waste reduction through food chain covering post-harvest, storage and warehousing, processing, transportation and distribution, and consuming section. 3. Strengthening advocacy for food loss and waste reduction (e.g. global initiative) with more active engagement of UN agencies, NGOs, and private sectors Mr. Shao Hui, General Manager, Food and Agriculture Department, Inspur Group ICT for sustainable supply chain: • Based on Cloud Computing, Cloud Services, Big Data, IoT and other digitalized tools with integration of information and communication technologies, packaged service aiming food loss and waste could benefit the whole food value chain. • The ICT-based toolkit remarkably improves the efficiency of grain purchasing and marketing to reduce the post-harvest loss, which provides space to attain digitalization, visualization, standardization of grain supply chain, traceability and reduce the risk of grain reserves management. • The smart grain warehouse management system enables surveillance, temperature control, nitrogen conditioning, risk monitoring and alarming to prolong grain shelf life, lower the management cost, and maintain grain quality in grain warehouse, so as to reduce the food loss and waste. Ms. Hou Kaidi, Vice President, Pinduoduo E-commerce to reduce the loss of agricultural products • E-commerce platform focusing on agricultural production with cold-chain logistics network could improve procurement efficiency from smallholder farmers to consumers, well connecting transportation and retailing, contributing to food loss and waste reduction. Mr. Alexey Kravchenko, Economic Affairs Officer, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP Reducing food loss in international trade: • One measurable aspect of food loss is through border rejections due to non-compliance with regulations, including unnecessary delays and inconsistent decision making by border officials. Addressing unnecessary delays can also reduce food waste at retail and consumption level by prolonging shelf lives of food products. Streamlining boarder procedures both outward and inwards is crucial, however careful balance must be ensured because poor sanitary and phytosanitary measure implementation can spread diseases and pests. • Four ongoing studies have been started in the region trying to estimate the extent, causes and propose solutions for food loss due to international trade, and pilot countries includes India, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. قراءة القليل

1: Reducing food loss in production, and processing Assistant Prof. Huang Jiaqi, Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS): • Reducing FLW in food systems with systematic approaches from pre-harvest farm-level losses to post-harvest losses, where additional policy concerns are given to vegetables, fruits and the perishables wastes which accounting for 20-30% of total FLW, not merely the grain losses. 2. Mr. Zhang Chengzhi, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NAFRA) • Whole value chain approach for FLW reduction and increase of grai... قراءة المزيدn production while aiming at carbon neutrality approach. • Develop anti-food loss regulations and rules to cultivate consciousness of saving food and supervise the implementation of laws from the government level. 3. Mr. Cao Guangqiao, Deputy Director General, Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs China • Implement harvesting machinery quality standards reducing waste, as well as operational norms for harvesting operations, planting and agronomic norms with attention to promote land merging and appropriate grain varieties for field management standardization and efficiency. • Strengthen professional qualification management for agricultural machinery operators, develop specialized and socialized service organizations and carry out regular technical exchanges and trainings, as well as provide weather warning notices, operation market conditions and other early warning information to farmers. 4. Mr. Liu Dan, Executive General Manager, Debont (Wuhu) Agricultural Machinery Co., Limited. • Promote energy-efficient drying equipment to maintain moisture and nutrients of thermal-sensitive grains to minimizing deterioration and preserving higher economic value. قراءة القليل

Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Reducing food loss and waste contributes to building pathways towards resilient, robust and sustainable food systems, aligned with target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, halving per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030, as well as reducing food losses and waste along the production and supply chains. Drawing upon practices and lessons learned from China’s domestic accomplishments as well as some international practices, this independent dialogue provided many illustrative exa... قراءة المزيدmples of what it takes, in practical and innovative ways, to transform food systems at local and country levels to become more resilient. The effective and efficient implementation requires an enabling environment of governance mechanisms and technical innovations that facilitate consultation across sectors and all key stakeholders, such as Chinese governments, development financial institutions, private sectors, academia, grass-roots level farmers’ cooperatives, United Nations agencies, as well as scientific research institutions. Reducing food loss and waste in food systems requires systematic thinking and approaches, with additional policy attention to developing effective market systems, especially for perishables. The market access could be improved by supporting the formation through farmer groups, cooperatives, associations and link them to markets, encourage contractual farming and long-term contractual agreements between growers and processors. Improve infrastructure for roads, energy and markets especially in rural areas where most of the production occurs, is critical in facilitating the transformation of local food systems. China has established a legal and policy system to promote food saving from the government level. Major measures include cultivating consciousness for saving food, developing laws and regulations, as well as monitoring and evaluating the implementations. Innovative technologies, such as green grain storage technology, cleaning drying technology and equipment, as well as grain logistics technology, play a key role in post-harvest loss practices. The standardization and efficiency of field management could facilitate addressing the food loss in harvesting, which can be achieved by implementing quality standards for harvesting machinery, as well as operational norms for harvesting operations, planting and agronomic norms, with attention to promote land merging and appropriate grain varieties. Technological improvements in drying equipment could maintain moisture and nutrients of thermal-sensitive grains to minimizing deterioration and preserving higher economic value. Scaling up the availability of technologies, information and innovative solutions is significant to accelerating the transformation of food systems, while ensuring that possible trade-offs are minimized as a consequence of the transformative process. E-commerce could build a bridge between small farmers and consumers to reduce food loss in the process, transferring the demand from the consumer side to the production side to short the supply chain of agricultural products. Establishing the supply chain system suitable for fresh agricultural products could further improve the efficiency of agricultural products circulation and reduce food loss and waste. Based on digitalization, investment in the construction of cold storage, fresh cold chain logistics system and other related infrastructure nationwide will promote the development of transformative food system. Financial innovation and incentive mechanisms is one of the key actions in the food system to reduce food loss and facilitate the transformation of food system. With a loan system designed by policy banks to cover all segments of the food supply chain, a series of credit products could be harnessed to benefit small farmers and serve the whole industry of grains and oil in the processes of production, storage, purchase and sales, circulation, processing, supply etc. Within food systems, interaction is needed among smallholders and agribusinesses. Through collaboration with farmer cooperatives in the operations, local “grain banks” could prevent food losses and increase farmers’ income by providing storage, credit and exchange solutions of agricultural products. Machinery Professional Cooperative Association could empower member farmers to gain access to heavy agricultural machinery with multiple ways of reducing food loss at various stages of the production cycle and storage, as a lever in transformative change of food system. During the dialogue, all stakeholders stressed the importance of, and are commitment to, disseminating game-changing solutions centered around reducing food loss and waste; pioneering actions to facilitate the transformation of food system and enhance food security; increasing sustainability through the food value chains; and promoting the efficiency, inclusiveness and resilience of food systems within the context of SDGs. قراءة القليل

The major focus of the dialogue is on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) in lines with the national focus of China in regards to the Food System Summit and the International Conference on Food Waste and loss, to be organised later in 2021. Food systems touch every aspect of human existence and Food Loss and Waste (FLW) is identified as the focus of this joint webinar by the RBAs (FAO, WFP, and IFAD) and ESCAP-CSAM in China, for two-fold considerations: Firstly, out of the five Action Tracks (AT), FAO is the UN Anchor Agency of AT 1: Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all; IFAD is for AT 4:... قراءة المزيد Advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution; WFP is for AT 5: Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. Reducing FLW through the whole value chain contributes to all these three ATs, as well as AT 2: Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns, and AT 3: Boosting nature-positive production at sufficient scale. Moreover, sustainable agricultural mechanization and related technologies, which are the focus of CSAM’s work, can offer key solutions to address FLW in support of all five ATs. Secondly: globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Significant quantities are also wasted in retail and at the consumption level. 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. In the context of China, this April, Chinese government adopted a law against food waste. Prior to this law, a "Clear Your Plate" campaign gained steam across the country. Therefore, reducing food loss and waste contributes to building pathways towards resilient, robust and sustainable food systems. The objective of the dialogue was to showcase experiences and exchange lessons learned from China’s domestic accomplishments as well as some international practices, with a specific focus on reducing FLW, which could be further upscaled in the context of the food waste law in China and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The dialogue included deliberations to outline inputs and recommendations to inform the UN Food Systems Summit as well as the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste. قراءة القليل

The outcomes of actions focused around rewarding ecosystem services. 1. Cannot deliver kinds of outcomes on environment, linking to consumers, without rural bandwidth and connectivity. 2. Need access to technology that incentivizes beneficial practices. Producing green energy on dairy farm, could reduce the cost of doing business. In PA, been working very diligently to change the regulations that would require a fair pay rate for electricity that is generated. However many states won’t pay a premium for this, makes it not profitable and disincentivizes. If we could reward that type of techno... قراءة المزيدlogy, it can become accessible to smaller farms. Would be awesome to see 50% of them providing electricity to neighboring homes and business - rewarding good practices. b. Another way of rewarding good practices – make grants / funding accessible as a reward for “doing the right thing.” 3. Access to capital or proactively accessing grants if you’re doing beneficial things, help value chains have access to consumer data. Upcycling groups and consumer oriented groups said there has to be a level playing field to get data and educate consumers. a. Hu Kitchen example of difficulty getting away from slavery in cocoa supply chain. Needs UN to come in to articulate and provide broader awareness to put theeth behind local/domestic/international work b. What to prioritize highest in terms of what to spend money on? What technology is most needed/relevant? This is a challenge to identify. c. The smaller your business, the more difficult it is to access that capital. 4. Need cohesive certifications and terms. Certifications play a large role in consumer education. Many companies are creating and selling a product while also educating and setting a new standard/certification for that product category. Need to alleviate this burden to educate consumers. a. In the dairy industry, we have taken it upon ourselves to create our own certification for animal welfare. We are now looking at creating certification for environmental stewardship 5. Agriculture should be without borders – “When it comes to small farmers doing a better job for the planet, my opinion is that agriculture should be without borders.” Farmers across Canada, US, etc shouldn’t be treated different. This influences what farmers choose to do on their farms. a. Need ecozone specific regulations, push for greater international cooperation. Farmer south of border of Saskatchewan are getting propped up by subsidies not everyone in the US agrees with – subsidies must be transparent. قراءة القليل

Need to redefine food. "Good food" is more than quality or nutrition alone or affordable access. It entails so much more - ESGs , relationship to the local culture and context, ethical production, traceability.. Increased consumer awareness regarding their food choices. Storytelling. Dedicated policy/private support to increase awareness and to connect consumers to food; strong food and nutrition policies. How to change consumer habits? Agriculture in the classroom Mobile education displays Open farm days Incentives for local production/regional food systems. Supply chains and technology aren'... قراءة المزيدt always geared to supply or support local production. Local Food Hubs. Closes the gap between farmer access and urban demand. Promotes local ecosystem; addresses barriers farmers face in finding markets. Aggregate supply - institutional buyers, school lunch programs, urban food security. Local food movement - promoting awareness, more targeted to local context. Needs to be institutionalized. Rewards for farmers. Structures that allow famer trust and participation in the market - cooperatives, marketing mechanisms, ownership shares, payment schemes. Ultimately pressures are passed back. More collaboration, more opportunity for involvement. Connections across borders. "How do we fit into the puzzle?" Recognize value of SMEs, but also resource. قراءة القليل

How to boost the role of SMEs in providing good food for all? Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to our food economies. Each country is different, but SMEs are often over 90% of businesses in the agri-food sector, creating half the economic value, providing more than half the sector’s jobs, and handling more than half the food consumed. Their tenacity and agility sustain food supplies and access through the COVID pandemic. What pathways will enhance the contribution of SMEs to the food system? Wasafiri here offers six promising pathways to boost the impact of food SMEs. Whic... قراءة المزيدh are most important in your context? What is missing? What actions will advance them? How are they interdependent? 1. Elevate the Voice of SMEs Food entrepreneurs are incredibly diverse. Hence, collectively they neither easily infuence nor hear the policy decisions that determine their future. Policymakers are often simply unaware of this quiet majority and are instead swayed by more powerful voices that are easier to engage. Positive examples exist of institutions and processes that elevate the voice of SMEs. The best of these also manage to amplify more marginalised entrepreneurs such as women, youth and indigenous people. Replicating these efforts around the world will ensure our food systems are designed and managed in ways that realise the positive contribution of SMEs. 2. Reduce the Cost of Doing Business In emerging economies, many basic challenges undermine the commercial viability of food SMEs, for example poor roads, intermittent power, red tape, corruption, unpredictable trade policy, and internet access. Wherever these improve, SMEs grow and proliferate. Access to finance also improves as lenders and investors have more confidence. Cross-sector collaboration can strengthen this basic enabling environment, reducing the risks and costs of doing business in the agri-food sector, and accelerating the “quiet revolution” through which SMEs are already transforming food systems. 3. Reward Positive Outcomes Our food systems are currently designed to reward the mass production of cheap calories. Different incentives are needed for markets to produce food that is more sustainable, nourishing and equitable. From impact investing to carbon credits, from product certification to sugar taxes, there are diverse mechanisms to reward positive outcomes and disincentivise negative ones. These must be designed and scaled in ways that work for SMEs, rather than adding complexity and cost. 4. Target Support at Food SMEs Well-resourced business development support for SMEs is a proven driver of inclusive economic growth. Targeting such support at food SMEs offers additional benefits, due to the importance of the sector to public goods such as health, the environment, and livelihoods. Youth, women and other groups face additional barriers to starting and growing a business. Support to them unlocks fresh entrepreneurial energy into the sector and addresses equity gaps. 5. Democratise the Digital Food Revolution COVID has accelerated a long-term trend towards digitisation of the food system. Whether it is digital farming, block chain for supply chain management, or virtual marketplaces, the food system is undergoing a tech revolution. The vast flows of data could serve the common good or entrench control within a few powerful actors. By design and policy, the data services and digital markets must be accessible to SMEs. This could unlock myriad innovations from payment for ecosystem services, to direct farm-to-consumer sales. 6. Make Good Food Matter For decades, the food system has been valued for its efficiency in feeding billions of additional mouths. This era witnessed the rise of industrial agriculture. The Summit marks an inflection point. Food systems must now also be valued for nourishing people, regenerating nature, improving equity and resilience to shocks. In this new paradigm, SMEs are in a stronger position with their closer, more nuanced relationships with communities and landscapes. قراءة القليل