DOHA: Food distribution companies, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, public officials, NGOs and consumers took part in two workshops at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q).
The workshops were part of ‘Safeguarding Food and Environment in Qatar’ project — a three-year initiative involving GU-Q, Cranfield and Brunel Universities in the UK and University of Western Sydney.
It is being implemented through a grant from Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and explores the issue of waste in food distribution and consumption in Qatar.
Dr Emel Aktas, Lead Principal Investigator, from Cranfield University, said raising awareness about the amount of food discarded and developing solutions to reduce waste is one of the most important aims of the project.
“It seeks to address a critical aspect of food security in Qatar and through identification of possible food waste interventions can be beneficial to other food constrained countries,” she said.
The workshops provided an overview of the project, envisioned outcomes and activities and discussed challenges of food waste at global, regional and national level.
Participants in groups discussed causes of food waste.
The first day focused on waste during handling, distribution, transportation and storage of food and on the second day stakeholders focused on causes of waste as a result of preparation, cooking and consumption.
As participants analysed inter-relationships and cause and effect linkages between these factors, economic, legal, social, cultural and environmental constraints were taken into account.
Zeynep Topaloglu, Assistant Professor of Economics, GU-Q, and Co-Lead Principal Investigator, stressed the longer-term context of the project.
“By developing policy recommendations to reduce food waste and ensuring sustainability of the food supply chain within the context of food security in Qatar, the project will support implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Qatar imports over 90 percent of its food needs. Producing food domestically is challenging due to its hot weather, unfertile soil and lack of rain, among others.
Reducing waste during distribution and consumption can contribute to improving Qatar’s food security situation.
The Peninsula
