GENEVA – United Nation agencies launched Tuesday a campaign to reduce global food loss and waste, which currently amounts to 1.3 billion tons a year, more than four times what would be needed to solve the world's hunger crisis. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) believes one-third of all food produced, worth around $1 trillion, is lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems. The United Nations Environment Program and FAO advised consumers to make a shopping list and buy “funny fruit,” which will cut food waste and help “shape a sustainable future.” The UNEP, FAO and partners unveiled the campaign dubbed “Think-Eat-Save Reduce Your Foodprint” to change global practices that result in loss of tons of food every year. The program is aimed primarily at consumers, food retailers and the hotel and restaurant industry, and is based on three recommended actions, think, eat, and save. Planning meals, making shopping lists and avoiding impulse buying helps, as does staying alert “to marketing tricks that lead you to buy more food than you need.” Another good idea is to “buy funny fruit” or vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out because their size, shape or color do not meet accustomed standards. Consumers in Europe, North America and Oceania waste between 95 to 115 kilos of food per capita per year, while the figure for people living in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia is only 6-11 kilos, FAO and UNEP said. – Agencies
