Agriculture Ministry, WFP launch 2 projects to tackle food waste

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture, in cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP), on Wednesday launched two projects in line with the national "No to Food Waste" campaign. 

The initiative aims to institutionalise effective improvement of governance in food waste management and introducing innovative solutions in this area, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The first project introduces an innovative "Hackathon" competition, in partnership with a Swiss foundation that will be open to SMEs, individuals and universities. Participants will receive support to develop their creative ideas related to food waste reduction. 

The second project, focusing on enhancing food waste management, involves collaboration with the Basmat Al Haya Society that will play a key role in collecting surplus food from hotels and redistributing it to communities in need.

Minister of Agriculture Khalid Hneifat reiterated the ministry's commitment to the projects' implementation in line with the National Food Security Strategy.

World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director in Jordan Alberto Correia Mendes reaffirmed the programme's support for Jordan's efforts to achieve the goals of the National Food Security Strategy, as food waste reduction has been identified as a key element of this strategy.

The volume of food waste in Jordan is estimated at around 93 kilogrammes on a pro rata basis per year, which equates to around 955,000 tonnes of food. This surplus could feed approximately 1.5 million people for an entire year, Petra added