Brazil launches campaign to reduce food waste

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), in a partnership with the office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Brazil and WWF-Brazil, launched the #SemDesperdício (“No waste”) campaign today (Oct 18), aiming to halve food waste by 2030.

The initiative aims to raise consumer awareness about food waste and create a positive impact on food consumption habits. It uses digital media to educate people about the negative consequences of food waste for the environment, household finance, and food security.

In Brazil, 41,000 tons of food are wasted every year, according to World Resources Institute (WRI) Brazil. This places the country among the world's top ten biggest food wasters. Most of the food leftovers ends up in waste dumps, causing negative environmental impact with greenhouse gas emissions.

According to EMBRAPA CEO Maurício Lopes, avoiding waste is a way of saving. “Avoiding waste at the consumption stage saves up money and invaluable natural resources and helps address food insecurity.”

Campaign

The campaign was launched in Brasília at a World Food Day (October 16) event that drew attention to necessary changes in dealing with the impacts of climate change.

Each year, the FAO launches a topic for discussion worldwide. This year the theme is “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.”

According to Social and Rural Development Minister Osmar Terra, sustainable farming practices are an important part of mitigating climate change. “Agriculture should operate on principles of sustainable and environmentally-friendly development. Within the Ministry of Social Development, best practices that allow farming to coexist with the environment are the norm, not least so we can buy produce from these farmers,” he said.

Translated by Mayra Borges