Sri Lanka has unveiled a comprehensive five-year plan to significantly minimize food loss and waste across the nation, partnering with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The initiative coincides with the observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, held under the theme “Climate action for food loss and waste reduction.”
The push to address food inefficiency comes at a critical juncture globally, as the latest United Nations findings indicate that 735 million people—accounting for 9.2% of the global population—suffer from chronic hunger. Domestically, resource waste remains a major challenge impacting food sustainability and security.
Addressing the domestic landscape, Dr. W. C. B. Weerasinghe of the Institute of Post Harvest Management in Anuradhapura revealed that nearly 30% of all food produced in Sri Lanka is lost to waste. He underscored that urban centers alone discard approximately 4,000 metric tons of perfectly edible food every single day.
Key Developments
- Strategic Partnership: A five-year action plan has been initiated alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to systematically reduce food loss nationwide.
- Critical Local Inefficiencies: Roughly 30% of Sri Lanka’s domestic agricultural output is wasted, with urban areas throwing away an estimated 4,000 metric tons of edible food daily, as identified by Dr. W. C. B. Weerasinghe of the Institute of Post Harvest Management in Anuradhapura.
- Global Context: The launch aligns with the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste and its theme of climate action, set against United Nations data documenting 735 million individuals living with chronic hunger worldwide.
The collaborative framework between national authorities and the FAO seeks to target systemic wastage throughout Sri Lanka’s supply chains and consumption centers, driving local climate action and improving resource management.