CIHEAM Zaragoza has announced the launch of an advanced course on the reduction and management of food waste to build knowledge, improve good practice guidance and train future leaders in this area. From 21 to 25 January, professionals from all over the world will gather to discuss food loss and waste issues with 12 of the most renowned international experts in the subject.
According to FAO data, a third of food produced globally is either lost or wasted before it can be consumed by people, that is, almost 1.7 billion tonnes per year. Food waste has an enormous impact on the environment and on food security worldwide (a quarter of the food that is lost or wasted would feed 870 million people). Each year 250 km3 of water and 1.4 million hectares (28% of the world's agricultural area) are used to produce food that is either spoiled or squandered, leaving a carbon footprint of 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases.
As pointed out by Javier Sierra, Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, “this course lies within the framework of CIHEAM’s Strategic Agenda and is aligned with the first of the 4 thematic axes - the fight against triple waste: of natural resources, food and knowledge. One of the main objectives of our Agenda 2025 is training, awareness and knowledge-building to achieve zero waste in the Mediterranean, also in line with the actions set out in the Strategy for 2017-2020 «More food, less waste», of Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food”.
The course is organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza, the EU H2020 funded Project REFRESH (Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain) and ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). Providing over 20 hours of in-class training and 15 hours of practical tutorials and case studies, this course offers an integrated approach to the issue of food loss and waste. It is a unique opportunity to network with professionals from other countries to generate new ideas, identify the causes and hot spots of food loss and waste, learn more about key initiatives and public and private actions, work with new assessment tools and raise public awareness about the importance of reducing food waste.
For more information visit the website: http://edu.iamz.ciheam.org/FoodLossAndWaste/en/