The International Conference on Food Loss and Waste was convened in Jinan, China on 9-11 September 2021 featuring the participation of 150 delegates from 48 countries, international organizations, businesses, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Through in-depth discussions centering on the theme “Reducing Food Loss and Waste for Enhanced Global Food Security”, we, the delegates of the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste, have forged a broad consensus.

The International Conference on Food Loss and Waste is convened in Jinan, China on 9-11 September 2021. (Xinhua/Shao Kun)

We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic, international conflicts and violence, and climate change have placed unprecedented strain on global food systems. In 2020, between 720 million to 811 million people were affected by hunger and 1/3 of the world’s population did not have access to sufficient and nutritious food. Meanwhile, 1/3 of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted, which is a global wake-up on the enormous challenges we face in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3- by 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.

We acknowledge the key role of reducing food loss and waste in enhancing food security and the urgency for the world to take immediate actions in this regard. Based on the existing commitments of G20 members to strengthening food security and nutrition, we call for the following actions to deliver progress on our shared goals of food loss and waste reduction:

1. Raising awareness and forging global consensus about food loss and waste

Food security is essential for the wellbeing of all people on earth. It plays an indispensable part in promoting world peace and development. Food loss and waste must be reduced for enhancing food security and nutrition, which requires efforts by all nations and individuals. We will call for all countries to raise the awareness that reducing food lost or wasted means more food for all, less consumption of resources, and increased productivity. We recognize the importance for countries to build a consensus on the need to launch concrete actions against food loss and waste, so as to contribute to global food security and nutrition.

2. Strengthening infrastructure for better climate change responses

To address environmental and climate disasters, we will improve agricultural infrastructure to achieve higher food production capacity and stronger supply resilience of food systems. Countries, regions, organizations and institutions will take actions to introduce stronger measures to assess and respond to the impacts of global climate change on agriculture, and develop action plans for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Efforts will be made across the value chain from production, distribution to consumption to counter climate change effects, so that the agricultural sector would be more adaptive to climate change.

3. Advocating sustainable production practices to reduce pre-harvest and harvest loss

Environmental protection, innovation and sustainable intensification will be a prerequisite for agricultural production. We will foster innovation, sustainable production systems and practice resource conservation, eco-friendliness and circular bioeconomy. Production means, such as plastic materials, need to be recovered and recycled whenever possible. For less food loss and higher efficiency, we will put more effort into selective breeding, integrated pest management, science-based fertilization, precision irrigation and efficient management, improve producers’ skills, and raise machine efficiency.

4. Exploiting the potential to reduce post-harvest loss

We will equip our post-harvest service systems with up-to-date technology, equipment and practices for intensive, sustainable and low-carbon operations, and offer farmer training and service on science-based grain storage, with a focus on wider adoption of improved silos and better grain quality. We will also take steps on research and development, standard formulation, and investment promotion to realize efficient connection between storage, transportation and processing. As a result, post-harvest food loss can be reduced in a systemic manner.

5. Mobilizing public participation and promoting sustainable consumption patterns

We will encourage governments, businesses and organizations to launch programs that build public awareness of preventing food waste in daily life. We will step up education and publicity efforts with a special focus on children, including efforts to disseminate food-related knowledge in schools and communities, to foster an enabling social environment for cherishing food. We will encourage consumers to adopt sustainable consumption patterns that help to protect nature and environment as well as to conserve resource and energy. We will empower people to healthy diets and help to develop resource-conserving, low-carbon and healthy lifestyles and consumption modes.

6. Increasing R&D investment and introducing innovative measures for saving food and reducing food loss

We will consider and strengthen the R&D, commercialization and application of cutting-edge technologies and equipment to address key elements concerning food loss and support the transformation of our food systems towards higher efficiency and productivity. With that, we aim to implement smart and well-targeted measures on food loss reduction, thus boosting the quality and efficiency of food value chains.

7. Building policy frameworks for enhanced governance on food loss and waste

We call on more countries and regions to introduce policies for reducing food loss and waste, and develop proper goals and action plans. Laws fostering the reduction of food loss and waste could be issued where appropriate. We will step up international collaboration to improve support for reducing food loss and waste. Efforts will be made to collect, analyze and share basic data to provide scientific support and inform decision-making for creating systemic solutions to food loss and waste.

8. Bringing vulnerable groups into food systems to enhance inclusiveness

We will establish inclusive food systems where everyone can be engaged with benefits. Together with partners we will target vulnerable groups, including women and smallholders, especially those in regions that are home to the largest number of impoverished people, such as Africa and South Asia to enable their equal access to sustainable livelihoods.

9. Establishing a long-term mechanism to promote international cooperation on food loss and waste reduction

We welcome efforts to undertake multilateral cooperation, mobilize a wide range of stakeholders and boost exchanges between individuals, cities, businesses and NGOs.

10. Pooling global wisdom to build a world without hunger

G20 countries, as significant players of the world, will foster reducing food loss and waste, help pool global wisdom and work with the rest of the world to ensure global food security and nutrition, promote food systems transformation, achieve SDGs faster and realize the vision of a world free from hunger and poverty.