An ad hoc committee under the Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) Program will organize a workshop focused on addressing the impacts on farmers, food prices, and food availability of reducing food loss and waste. The workshop will examine key challenges that arise in reducing food loss and waste throughout the supply chain and discuss potential ways to address these challenges. Major objectives of the workshop will include:

• To explore the significant cost-benefit impacts of reducing food loss and waste on farmers, food prices, and food availability;
• To identify research gaps and options for improving existing processes, taking into account the costs and benefits of reducing food loss and waste;
• To examine the role of governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector in adopting best practices to improve benefits and reduce costs; and
• To discuss opportunities for partnerships to address the issues of food loss and waste.

The workshop will build on two previous workshops hosted by STS addressing the sustainability challenges associated with providing food security and it will complement the Food and Nutrition Board’s proposed study on methodologies to estimate loss of certain commodity foods. The workshop will include participants from government, the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations involved in food loss and waste issues. A brief summary of the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.