FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION & RECOVERY INITIATIVE

The University of Mauritius is one of the leading local tertiary education providers, which has been of service to the nation for the past fifty years. To help Mauritius achieve Target 12.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is

“ halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains (including postharvest losses)

by 2030, the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Mauritius, aims to lead a “Food Loss and Waste Reduction and Recovery” Initiative with the aim to create national awareness on food loss and food waste reduction among all stakeholders along the farm–to-fork continuum. The Faculty of Agriculture has always been proactive and strived to align its programmes of studies with the emerging needs of the Agricultural and Food sector in Mauritius. As early as 1997, the Faculty launched its first full-fledged undergraduate programme in Food Science; thereafter BSc (Hons) in Food Science and Technology with different specialisations such as Food Safety, Seafood Technology, BSc (Hons) Food Safety and Quality, MSc Food Science, MSc Food Technology and PhD programmes. Research projects in the fields of value addition to food, food safety and quality, functional foods, and food product development, have been carried out by staff and students.

The Faculty is launching several activities pertaining to food loss and food waste reduction. under the Food Loss and Food Waste Reduction and Recovery Initiative over one year

➢ a FORUM ON POSTHARVEST LOSSES OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) on the 15th February 2018 at the University of Mauritius. The resource person was Mr Shubham Chandra

➢ a CONFERENCE ON FOOD LOSS AND FOOD WASTE REDUCTION AND RECOVERYfrom 27th Feb to 1st March 2018) .  Three international speakers and eight local speakers will intervene.

➢ An AWARENESS CAMPAIGN spreading over one year (February 2018-March 2019),through media, quiz and poster competitions , as well as short tailor-made workshops for different target audience on waste recovery and reduction targeting producers, consumers, school children, food industries, catering and hospitality sectors among others.

It is expected that as a result, stakeholders will become more aware of the impact of this growing problem and apply measures to contain it. This Initiative cannot be carried out in isolation and thus the Faculty of Agriculture is seeking to work with researchers, businesses, communities, funding agencies, consumers organizations to create an awareness on food loss and food waste reduction.

JOIN US IN THIS INITIATIVE. VISIT US AT http://sites.uom.ac.mu/foodloss