China to host int'l conference on food loss, waste

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Conference on Food Loss and Waste (ICFLW), a platform for sharing experiences on the relevant issues, will be held from Sept. 9 to 11 in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, authorities said Tuesday.

With the theme of reducing food loss and food waste, and promoting global food security, the conference aims to facilitate dialogues among different parties, said Ma Youxiang, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at a press conference.

The three-day event that will be held both online and offline will focus on issues such as challenges, cooperation and governance involving the reduction of food loss and waste.

Agricultural ministers from some Group of 20 countries and heads of international organizations will deliver speeches online. Besides, ambassadors of 15 countries, representatives from more than 50 countries, over 40 international experts and heads of many multinational enterprises are expected to attend the conference.

"The ICFLW will be the biggest international event hosted by China in the agricultural field since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic," Ma said.

Noting that the issue of reducing food loss and waste is significant, urgent and complex, Ma said tackling the issue requires joint efforts.

The event is expected to build global consensus on food loss reduction, help the agricultural sector cope with climate change and green development, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Ma added.

China has accumulated experience in fighting against food loss and waste in recent years, Ma said, adding that it has also worked with other countries in this sector through information sharing, technical exchanges and personnel training.

China wishes to take the upcoming conference as an opportunity and promote the establishment of an international mechanism for cooperation on food loss and waste, he added.