This document discusses reducing food losses and waste in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve food security. It notes that the region loses around 15% of its available food. Some countries are taking measures to address this like improving infrastructure, facilitating food banks, and awareness campaigns. It proposes a regional strategy with pillars of research, technology, information, governance, and partnerships to study food chains, quantify losses, disseminate campaigns, and establish public policies and codes of conduct to reduce food loss and waste by at least 30%. Reducing waste is important for future food security given continued production and climate change.

1. Tania Santivañez
FAO Regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean
Pavilion at Interpack 2014
Düsseldorf 12 May,
2014
IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY IN LATIN AMERICA AND
THE CARIBBEAN BY REDUCING FOOD LOSSES AND
WASTE AND IMPROVING AGRI-FOOD CHAIN
EFFICIENCY

2. EVOLUTION OF AGRIFOOD TRADE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
2006 – 2012 ( $US millones)
Fuente: FAO (RLC) Panorama SAN 2013
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IS A GREAT WORLDWIDE FOOD PRODUCER

3. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IS A GREAT WORLDWIDE FOOD PRODUCER
Balance del mercado mundial de
cereales (millones de toneladas)
Producción de cereales en América Latina y el Caribe, millones de toneladas
Region / País Trigo Granos secundarios Arroz* Total Cereales
2011 2012 2013e 2011 2012 2013e 2011 2012 2013e 2011 2012 2013e
América del Sur 25,5 16,8 19,2 106,0 120,8 137,0 26,4 24,7 25,2 157,8 162,5 181,4
Argentina 14,5 8,2 9,2 32,8 31,2 37,8 1,7 1,6 1,6 49,1 41,0 48,6
Brasil 5,7 4,4 5,7 59,0 74,1 83,5 13,6 11,6 11,8 78,3 90,1 101,1
Mesoamérica y Caribe 3,6 3,3 3,4 29,6 35,0 35,8 2,9 2,7 2,9 36,1 41,0 42,1
México 3,6 3,3 3,4 24,7 30,2 30,8 0,2 0,2 0,2 28,5 33,6 34,4
América Latina y el
Caribe
29,1 20,1 22,6 135,6 155,8 172,8 29,3 27,4 28,1 193,9 203,5 223,5
*/ e: corresponde a valores estimados; * corresponde a arroz elaborado.
Fuente: Perspectivas de cosechas y situación alimentaria, marzo 2014

4. Source: World Bank based on FAO (2014).
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN --- LOSSES OR WASTES AROUND 15% OF ITS
AVAILABLE FOOD---
%
Nota: Proporción de pérdida y desperdicio global de alimentos en
2009 (100 % = 1500 billones de calorías).

5. 27,7%
21,8%
16,8%
5,9%
27,7%
Consumo Manejo y almacenamiento
Mercado y distribución Procesamiento
Producción
Fuente: FAO en base a Banco Mundial (2014).
LOSS AND FOOD WASTE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

6. LAC COUNTRIES ARE CURRENTLY TAKING SOME MEASURES TO REDUCE FOOD
LOSSES AND WASTE
GUATEMALA:
FACILITATE ACCESS TO METAL SILOS
ECUADOR:
IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY
BETWEEN PRODUCTION
AREAS AND SALE/OR
COLLECTION CENTRES;
MORE AND BETTER
ROADS IN THE
COUNTRYSIDE

7. PARAGUAY AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO SALE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN
THE FORM OF PUBLIC SUPPLY MARKETS.
Both projects funded by the
State in order to improve
commercialization of agricultural
products

8. IN MEXICO, BRAZIL, DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC, PARAGUAY, ARGENTINA,
GUATEMALA AND COLOMBIA
FACILITATE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE
CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
FOOD BANKS
MEXICO
NOG Network of 61 food
banks are already operating in
the country, 2013: 56.046 tons
of food

9. CARICOM COUNTRIES
ANALYSE AND PROMOTE THE REDUCTION
OF POSTHARVEST LOSSES ALONG THE
FOOD CHAIN ON PRIORITY CROPS (FAO)
COSTA RICA
THE “THINK, EAT, SAVE” AWARENESS CAMPAING IS BEING
IMLEMENTED
SONG “ALIMENTO PARA EL ALMA” “FOOD FOR THE
SOUL”http://www.reverbnation.com/canasoficial/song/183569
32-alimento-para-el-alma-feat-debi

10. ANALIZE AND RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT REALITIES IN THIS REGION:
 LARGE AND SMALL COUNTRIES
 COUNTRIES WITH VERY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT
 EXPORTING COUNTRIES
 IMPORTING COUNTRIES
 FAMILY FARMING AND SMALL PRODUCERS
 MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
 DIFFERENT SERVICES OF GOVERNANCE
HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM?

11. TO RECOGNIZE AND INTEGRATED A VERSATILE APPROACH: VALUE CHAIN AND FOOD
SYSTEMS FROM PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION AND EMPLOYMENT
Specific
attention to
equal
opportunities
to facilitate
everybody’s
inclusion
HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM?
Efficiency

12. PROPOSAL: A REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR REDUCTION OF FOOD
LOSSES AND WASTE

13. PILLARS OF THE STRATEGY PROPOSAL IN LAC:
NEXT STEPS
RESEARCH
TECHNOLOGY
AND KNOWLEDGE
INFORMATION/
COMMUNICATION
GOVERNANCE
EMPIRICAL DATA
TECHNOLOGY
INNOVATION
AWARENESS RAISING
NETWORKS
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
DIALOGUE
NETWORKS
 STUDIES ON LOSSES AND WASTE IN SELECTED
AGRIFOOD CHAINS, WITH ENFHASIS IN BASIC
FOOD BASKET (FRUITS, VEGETABLES, FISH)
 METHODOLOGIES TO QUANTIFY LOSSES AND
WASTE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN (RETAIL,
POSTHARVEST, ETC)
 REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON
FOOD LOSSES AND WASTE
 DISSEMINATION OF CAMPAIGN
“THINK, EAT, SAVE” IN LAC
 PUBLIC POLICIES
 CODE CONDUCT IN LAC

14. AWARENESS
I
SCENARIO 1
Isolated actions and
Food losses and waste
unknown
SCENARIO 2
33 countries know the food
looses and waste, fao with
public and private partners
raise evidence on food loss
and waste in lac and reduce
SCENARIO 3
The countries take
integrated actions for
the reduction of food
loss and waste at least
in 30% ?
REDUCTION
GOAL OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGY

15. “Future progress in agricultural production and climate change will mean
very little to world food security
if we continue losing and wasting much of the food we produce…”
( Jose Cuesta)
THANKS
email: tania.santivanez@fao.org