Following several months of preparation, we proudly launched our Regional Workshop on Food Loss and Waste in Sub-Saharan Africa on 27 October 2025. Funded by AgriDENZ project the workshop took place at the Future Africa campus in Pretoria, South Africa.
Alongside with our colleagues from the National Department of Agriculture of South Africa, the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa (ARC), the Ag Emissions Centre, the Global Research Alliance (GRA), the African Union, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the University of Nairobi, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network - FANRPAN, and the Qinisa Initiative, we welcomed 150 participants to our three-day workshop.
Contributors to the opening ceremony included the New Zealand High Commission, the German Embassy in Pretoria, and the South African National Department of Agriculture in South Africa. Ms. Kwena Komape, Deputy Director General of Economic Development, Trade, and Marketing, and Convenor of the G20 Agricultural Sherpa for Food Security in South Africa officially opened the workshop.
The plenary sessions covered the policy dimension, food loss and waste data, the impact on climate, and the context of food loss and waste within resilient food systems. These discussions from the plenary sessions were complemented by four break-out sessions, which dealt with:
• The science-policy interface, facilitated by Rachel Collie, Cecil Max Haverkamp, and Kotone Yamamoto from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in France,
• GLEAM-X global livestock emission models, facilitated by Dominik Wisser and Carola Fabi from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome,
• Bridging research and action, facilitated by Sharon Yeukai Mada from the Thünen Institute, and
• Food waste strategies in the urban context, facilitated by Arvinlucy Onditi from the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Kenya.
Our participants came from 17 diverse countries and comprised a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including experienced researchers, young entrepreneurs and students, research institutions, companies, government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, and associations. This added a wealth of perspectives to the discussions. Collective ideas were explored and debated during the evening gathering, where participants from different sectors and walks of life collaborated and learned from each other. We're eagerly looking forward to the second day!
