The Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched, Wednesday in Tunis , the project to reduce wasted food and develop value chains for food security.
Director of Studies and Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nadoua Kmayer said the overall cost of this project that will be carried out over three years is USD 2.3 million.
The project aims to “control the links of the production chain to reduce the import of food products,” she told TAP, noting that Tunisia imports 50% of its grain needs, including 20% of hard wheat and 80% of soft wheat.
“The project, which is carried out for the first time in Tunisia and Egypt , aims to lay FAO’s methodology in the quantitative assessment of wasted foodstuff.”
This system will help identify the failing links in the production chain behind the waste in the cereal and milk sectors in Tunisia and tomatoes and vines in Egypt ,” she noted.
She added: “we are seeking to reduce food wasting to improve the income of formers and all stakeholders in the afore-mentioned sectors, namely suppliers, transporters, collectors and distributors…”
This project will contribute to share experiences and expertise between Tunisia and Egypt , pending generalizing this experience to other agricultural sectors.
Quantities of wasted food in North Africa stand at nearly 250 kg per year and per person, which is estimated at USD 50 billion a year.
FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for North Africa and Representative to Tunisia Lamourdia Thiombiano said the organization of work around production chains, is the most appropriate way to ensure food security.
Estimates regarding North African countries reveal a waste rate of 14% to 19% for grain, 16% for vegetables, 45% for fruit, 13% for meat, 28% for fish and 18% for milk.
The FAO official emphasized the importance of “laying a strategy to limit these losses and create a national network to control this phenomenon. »
