The latest data from FAO (2021) show that the number of undernourished people in the world rose in 2020 , including 282 million people in Africa, which experienced the largest percentage increase in undernourishment. Together with climate variability and extremes, conflict and economic downturns, COVID 19 contributed to an increase in world food insecurity (for an estimated additional 30 million people), a situation which threatens gains made in nutrition and creates further vulnerabilities in food systems. Progress on Sustainable Development Goal 2 is not on track to achieve nutrition targets by 2030. Therefore, the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich, under its Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (FaNSI) hosts a series of seminars about recent research addressing food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa.
In the forth seminar on Febuary 7, 2023 a panel of experts will examine Food loss and waste reduction. These are multidisciplinary efforts involving natural and social scientists in researching challenges to food and nutrition security. This includes examining inequalities in food systems relating to gender, low income and vulnerable groups and developing strategies to strengthen their position.
This session will highlight the huge range of unanswered questions faced by practitioners in the field of Food Loss and Waste Reduction. As an example of an under-researched area, NRI and Partners at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania will present a keynote looking at the impact of rodent damage on food security. This will be followed by presentations from NRI FaNSI staff and PhD students on the emerging research findings on a range of food loss and waste related topics. Finally, a panel of external speakers and NRI partners will lead the discussion on related thematic questions arising from the work to date:
Panelists:
- Dr. Delia Grace: Professor Food Safety Systems, NRI
- Dr. Barnabas Ikyo: Director of the Centre for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER), Benue State University Makurdi, Nigeria
- Dr. Barbara Sturm: Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB).
- Pawan Agarwal (IAS): Former CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, currently, he is CEO Food Future Foundation (India).
- Dr. Manoj Dora: Director of the Centre for Intelligent Supply Chains.
- Jamie Crummie: Co-founder and Director at Too Good To Go
Date: Feb 7, 2023 11 am - 2 pm
Place:
- University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Nelson Building, room N008 or
- via Microsoft Teams: Food Loss and Waste Reduction (Meeting ID: 352 922 689 115, Passcode: aYLBE6)
Find more information: NRI International Seminar Series on Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, 2023