Ceepackaging

News from events

Food waste to be examined at Interpack

The focus of the international congress on 16 and 17 May 2011 will be the subjects of food, packaging and sustainability: SAVE FOOD highlights the extent of, and reasons for, global food losses and intends to show among other things the contribution that the type of packaging can make towards safeguarding foods. To this end, the congress is bringing together stakeholders from the food and packaging industries, retail, politics, administration, research and NGOs in Düsseldorf.

Within the framework of the congress, the Food and Agriculture Organization will be presenting three new studies founded on surveys currently being conducted in developed, developing and transition countries. One study investigates the reasons for and extent of food losses in developed countries and estimates the degree to which the type of packaging can remedy the problem. Another study is concerned with the same subject in less developed countries. The third study aims to quantify the investment that is needed to ensure an adequate supply of food packages locally in these countries.

“World-wide food losses are estimated to range from 20 to 75%, depending on the type of food. The total quantity could be as high as 1.2 billion tons. In developed and industrialized countries the food loss is about 300 kg per capita per year, which is mostly wasted at consumer level. Therefore awareness raising and behavioural change is highly necessary” says Robert van Otterdijk, FAO Officer for SAVE FOOD, explaining the initiative: “Between now and 2050 the world population is expected to grow by 50% to 9 billion. All of this growth will be urban, and most of it in developing countries. Now in those countries most food losses occur at production level, as a result of underdeveloped production, conservation, packaging and marketing practices as well as inadequate storage, transport and other infrastructure facilities. Economic development and investment are needed to improve the situation and get the food from the farmer to the cities.”

In the course of two days at the SAVE FOOD congress, experts from all regions of the world will refer to the results of the FAO studies and discuss such subjects as the global food supply, supply security, urbanisation, food development and marketing, logistics and agriculture. The programme encompasses key notes, debates, panel discussions and best practice presentations. Van Otterdijk explains: “We have to seek possible solutions along the entire food value chain – from farm to fork – and with as much attentiveness as possible.”

Sector-specific knowledge, international networking and the ability to showcase subjects worldwide – these are the skills that Messe Düsseldorf GmbH wishes to contribute to the initiative. Werner M. Dornscheidt, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, explains: “As a trade fair company with global operations, we – including myself personally – are aware of the markets and problems of the countries in which we do business. As the organisers of interpack, the world’s most important trade fair for the packaging sector and related processing industries, we have the necessary knowledge of the industry, the people in charge and the necessities locally.”

Among the guest speakers at the congress are top-flight representatives of the United Nations and experts from industry, politics and research institutes like the UNEP Sustainable Consumption and Production Centre at the Wuppertal Institute. Also invited is Selina Juul who, with her Danish “Stop Wasting Food” campaign, had a large hand in the EU and UN “Joint Declaration against Food Waste” of October 2010.

The accompanying exhibition at the SAVE FOOD pavilion on the interpack site is intended to broaden access to the congress themes and to the FAO studies. Among other things, it will show the best practices of companies and associations in the fight against global food losses. In exemplary fashion, the adjoining Food Court is pursuing a sustainable catering strategy.

Even after the SAVE FOOD congress, cooperation between the FAO and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH will continue. Werner Dornscheidt: “In consultation with the FAO, any surplus from the congress will go towards a regional development project, to which our company will be making a longer-term commitment.”