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Ammon News - Minister of Agriculture and Chairperson of the Food Security Council, Khaled Hunaifat, emphasized the severe environmental and developmental consequences of food waste, calling it a "global tragedy" during an event marking the "International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste" on Sunday.

Hunaifat highlighted that food waste exacerbates climate issues by depleting natural resources and raising greenhouse gas emissions.

During the event, organized by the Food Security Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Food Program (WFP), Hunaifat pointed out that despite 800 million people suffering from hunger worldwide, one billion tons of food are wasted annually. In Jordan, food waste averages 101 kilograms per person per year, amounting to 1.136 million tons enough to meet the food needs of 1.5 million people for an entire year.

The minister also underscored the significance of the "No Food Waste" initiative, launched by the council in partnership with the WFP and FAO, aimed at reducing food loss through public awareness, promoting sustainable consumption, and improving food supply chain efficiency. He identified challenges such as limited infrastructure for proper food storage and a general lack of awareness as major obstacles to addressing the issue.

FAO Representative in Jordan, Nabil Assaf, stressed that reducing food loss and waste is key to increasing food availability, combating hunger, and mitigating environmental damage. He urged for agricultural and food system transformations to be more efficient and sustainable to achieve improved production and nutrition outcomes.

WFP Head of Program in Jordan, Stefano Santoro, noted that the program collaborates with the Food Security Council to foster behavioral change and reduce food waste through various initiatives, including a hackathon to support innovators developing solutions to address the issue.

The event, aligned with Jordan’s National Food Security Strategy (2021-2030), concluded with a panel discussion where local and international experts and government officials shared best practices for minimizing food waste and enhancing sustainable food systems.

Petra