Addressing food loss and waste is critical to improve food security, lower food costs, and reduce food’s environmental footprint and emissions. Indeed, a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, needlessly using 25% of water used for agriculture and a production area the size of China, as well as accounting for 8% of global emissions and a cost of around USD 940 Bo each year.

In this context, the Embassy of France to Australia organised a hybrid event on the 12 September 2024 to highlight main trends and tracks of work in France and Australia.

The webinar, which gathered more than 100 people, was mainly dedicated to policies and to innovative solutions, showcasing the initiatives in France: ban of edible food destruction, obligation to offer partnerships to food associations, “anti-gaspi” certification, tax rebates, etc. It also included keynotes speeches from research: Dr Marie Mourad (independent French researcher and expert on zero waste) and Dr Steven Lapidge (Former CEO of End Food Waste Australia). A total of 18 speakers delivered invaluable insights and allowed for a fruitful discussion about each country’s strategy and priorities. And in Canberra, in-person attendees enjoyed a low-waste dinner at the Canberra Institute of Technology!