One third of the food produced worldwide each year is wasted, while billions of tonnes of water are wasted. Solutions to this critical situation will be discussed at the High-Level Agriculture Ministers Panel to be held in Istanbul on 28 November.
Under the patronage of Mrs Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste in Action and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, the programme, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Zero Waste Foundation, aims to strengthen global cooperation against food and water waste and steer sustainable agricultural policies.
Designed as a continuation and complementary session of the International Zero Waste Forum, the ‘High-Level Panel of Agriculture Ministers’ will be held under the theme "Preventing Food and Water Waste – Owning the Future," will launch a solution-oriented global fight against food and water waste in Istanbul, at a time when one-third of all food produced is wasted and billions of tonnes of water are wasted.
The High-Level Panel of Agriculture Ministers will be attended by Mrs Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, Mr İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation, and ministers and ministerial-level representatives from numerous countries including Italy, Spain, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Mexico, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
A Global Solution to Food and Water Waste
To draw attention to the critical scale of food and water waste globally, strengthen international policy coordination in this area, and encourage solution-oriented cooperation, IFAD, the World Food Programme, FAO, among others, will aim to deepen the vision presented at the International Zero Waste Forum, particularly in the context of food and water waste. The meeting, which is directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, is designed to be consistent with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
783 Million People Struggle with Hunger
Our planet faces a striking reality: approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year. This amount is equivalent to one-third of global food production. In contrast, 783 million people still struggle with hunger. As Mrs Emine Erdoğan, Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, often emphasises:
“On one hand, tables are overflowing with food, while on the other, why are there lives condemned to empty plates?”
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and UNEP reveals that 931 million tonnes of food are thrown away annually in households, restaurants and the retail sector alone. Food waste is not just an ethical issue; it also means the wasteful use of scarce resources such as land, water, energy and labour.
The agricultural sector accounts for over 70 per cent of global water use, while 250 km³ of water is used solely to produce the food that is wasted. This amount is equivalent to approximately 100 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The World and Türkiye Approaching the Water Scarcity Threshold
Half of the world's population experiences water scarcity at certain times of the year. This situation is worsening due to climate change, rapid urbanisation and poor water management. While the annual water availability per capita in Türkiye is 1,519 m³, this figure is projected to fall to 1,100 m³ by 2030. This increases the risk of Türkiye joining the ranks of countries experiencing water scarcity.
Food and water waste also exacerbates the effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by food waste account for 8 to 10 per cent of global emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be the world's third largest source of emissions.
The Economic Cost of Global Waste is Around £2.6 Trillion
This situation transforms the issue of food and water waste into a matter with not only environmental but also economic, social and security dimensions. According to FAO data, the global economic cost of food waste is 1 trillion US dollars. When ancillary resources such as water, energy and logistics are added, the total loss reaches 2.6 trillion US dollars.
Climate Crisis and Food Waste: Interconnected Threats
Greenhouse gas emissions caused by food waste account for 8 to 10 per cent of global emissions, making food waste the world's third largest source of emissions. Increasing droughts, floods and heat waves associated with climate change threaten both agricultural production and water resources. According to World Bank projections, if current trends continue, 700 million people could be displaced by 2030 due to water scarcity.
A Global Step as a Continuation of the Zero Waste Forum
Held in Istanbul this October, the International Zero Waste Forum brought together leaders, municipalities, the private sector and civil society from around the world under the theme ‘Zero Waste in Action: People. Places. Progress.’.
The High-Level Panel of Agriculture Ministers, to be held on 28 November, is planned as a complementary session that will carry the Forum's outcomes into the areas of agriculture, food and water management.
Strengthening Policy Alignment, Enhancing Cooperation
Within the scope of the panel, agriculture ministers from around the world, representatives of international organisations, experts and civil society actors will come together to discuss feasible strategies for preventing food and water waste.
The main objectives of the meeting include:
• Raising international awareness of the global dimensions and impacts of food and water waste,
• Integrating the Zero Waste approach into agriculture and food systems,
• Strengthening policy coherence and cooperation at the ministerial level,
• Ensuring the sharing of good practices,
• Developing concrete policy recommendations.
At the end of the meeting, a strong political declaration at ministerial level, joint commitments to prevent food and water waste, and the integration of the Zero Waste Forum outcomes into agricultural policies are expected.
This high-level meeting will be a critical step towards strengthening global solidarity against the cycle of waste that threatens humanity's future.
On 28 November, Istanbul will turn the world's attention towards a sustainable future with the awareness of ‘knowing the value of every morsel and every drop’.
Zero Waste Movement
The Zero Waste Movement was launched on 27 September 2017 under the patronage of Mrs Emine Erdoğan.
On 14 December 2022, at the UN General Assembly, the ‘Zero Waste’ resolution was adopted by vote, with Türkiye as the main sponsor and 105 countries as co-sponsors, and 30 March was declared ‘International Zero Waste Day’.
Mrs Emine Erdoğan was the keynote speaker at the first International Zero Waste Day event held in the UN General Assembly Hall on 30 March 2023.
At this event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the establishment of the ‘UN High-Level Advisory Council on Zero Waste’ and offered its chairmanship to Mrs Emine Erdoğan. Mrs Emine Erdoğan accepted this offer and assumed the chairmanship of the council, which was officially established on 30 March 2023.
As part of the 78th UN General Assembly, an event entitled ‘Towards a Global Zero Waste Movement’ was organised at Türkevi in New York under the leadership of Mrs Emine Erdoğan. At the event, President Erdoğan signed the ‘Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration’ as the first signatory.
