The closing workshop for the project “Capacity Building for Food Loss Reduction in the Near East” implemented by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Near East countries took place in Cairo on 24 – 25 July.
The main objective of the project was to implement a training and awareness-raising program to strengthen the national capacity of local leaders of producer associations, food industry managers and extension personnel on good practice in food handling and improved value chain management. The participating countries were Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon who all share the same common issues of concern for food security; food loss and waste (FLW) reduction; poverty alleviation; health and safety of the population and preservation of the natural environment. In the context of this project, each country chose a specific food sub-sector to focus project activities on: wheat in Egypt; meat in Iran; vegetables in Jordan; and apples in Lebanon. The goal of the NENA Strategic framework is to improve the efficiency of the food system, make better use of natural resources and increase the agriculture sector’s contribution to economic growth and stability through FLW reduction in four components; data gathering, analytical research and knowledge generation; awareness raising and promotion of good practices; developing policies and regulations, and strengthen collaboration, coordination and networking; and promoting investment and engaging the private sector.
The Cairo event revolved around presenting the different activities that took place and their outcomes in the participating member countries. The workshop was an opportunity to request recommendations from member countries to develop and move forward with FLW reduction in the NENA region.
Watani International
30 July 2017