Source: THE ASPEN GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE, INC. submitted to NRP
CONFERENCE – REDUCING FOOD LOSS AND WASTE: DUAL IMPACT ACTIONS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPROVE NUTRITION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031592
Grant No.
2023-67017-41326
Cumulative Award Amt.
$50,000.00
Proposal No.
2023-07123
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 1, 2023
Project End Date
Nov 30, 2024
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[A1364]- Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies
Recipient Organization
THE ASPEN GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE, INC.
104 MIDLAND AVE
BASALT,CO 81621
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI) proposes to host a workshop entitled, "Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Dual Impact Actions to Address Climate Change Improve Nutrition." The five-day workshop will be held in June 2024, led by a team of expert co-chairs: Ahmed Kablan, Ann Vaughn and Nika Larian (USAID Bureau for Resilience and Food Security); Shibani Ghosh (Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab); and Jean Buzby (USDA). This workshop is proposed for June 2024, to be held in western Colorado. AGCI will provide guidance and logistical support for a weeklong program consisting of presentations, discussions, breakout groups, and a public lecture.Food losses and waste (FLW) impact the sustainability and resilience of agricultural and food systems and their ability to ensure food security and nutrition for all and for future generations. Reduction in FLW also supports better use of natural resources such as water, energy, and soils. Our workshop aims to identify pathways to create more robust and sustainable food systems (in the US and globally), by providing recommendations to government agencies and funders on priority policies, programs, technologies and research opportunities to reduce food, loss, and waste.The workshop will bring together around thirty participants including scientists, private sector actors and government officials. Participants will represent a diverse group of actors, each of which have a significant stake in ensuring FLW is reduced.Participants will identify food loss reduction methods and innovations (including technologies, processes, policies), as well as food waste reduction approaches (including upcycling and appropriate uses ofsubstandard products). An emphasis will be to identify options that are actionable and easy to adapt/implement in low resource environments. Participants will also identify opportunities for how to fund these opportunities. The group willidentify priority research and evidence gaps, especially data gaps to informpolicy actions. They will provide actionable policy and programming recommendations for policy makers and donor organizations to support reducing FLW globally.All workshop presentations and video recordings will be made available on AGCI's website as educational resources. All post-workshop publications (reports, peer-reviewed papers, etc), will also be made publicly available.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
5035010310020%
4035010310010%
5015010310020%
1325010310020%
6105010310010%
6115010310020%
Knowledge Area
403 - Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse; 501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies; 132 - Weather and Climate; 611 - Foreign Policy and Programs; 503 - Quality Maintenance in Storing and Marketing Food Products; 610 - Domestic Policy Analysis;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
This workshop will focus on identifying and discussing post-harvest loss reduction and mitigation methods and innovations (technologies, processes, policies), and food waste reduction and management approaches that are actionable and easy to adapt/implement in low resource environments, as well as how to drive financing to these options. Additionally, this workshop will provide actionable policy and programming recommendations for policy makers and donor organizations to support reducing FLW globally.The workshop will bring together scientists, private sector actors and government officials to identify opportunities for action on reducing FLW. Participants will represent a diverse group of actors, each of which have a significant stake in ensuring FLW is reduced and that support policies and programming to reduce FLW. The group will be tasked to identify research and evidence gaps, including data gaps, and innovations/technology needs to drive policy actions and development of technologies and innovations (including novel foods and manufacturing advances) to cut food loss and waste in agricultural products. Recommendations will be prioritized and communicated with federal agencies and donor organizations to advocate for resources to fill these gaps.Specific workshop objectives include:- Development of policy and programmatic recommendations (including possible financing options) to support sustainable food systems transformation with an emphasis on nutrient-dense foods in low and middle income countries (LMIC).- Development of policy recommendations towards reducing Domestic FLW (including after foods have been delivered to consumers such as identifying behavioral strategies to drive consumers behavior change) in the US with an intent to support US efforts to meet sustainable development goal (SDG) Target 12.3- Identification of innovations (technologies, novel foods, behaviors, preferences, policies, and processes), with potential for scaling, to support reduction of FLW- Generation of awareness of the negative effects of loss and waste of nutrient-dense foods on both economic development and nutritional status, and the flaws in our current supply chain that make it unsustainable- Donor organizations, governments and the private sector to allocate funding and resources for research projects and development programs to reduce FLW of nutrient-dense foods- Elevate the need to address FLW to address multiple global issues (i.e., climate change, malnutrition, economic development). This includes recognition that achieving climate change targets of 1.5 & 2 C requires changes in our agriculture-food systems on a global scale; and that the opportunity for reducing food waste in high income countries can reduce pressure to produce more food in marginal lands around the world.- Framework for better quantifying FLW (aggregate and disaggregate), and recommendations for how to address key data collection gaps, including food losses (pre-harvest and post-harvest) in low vs. middle vs. high income country contextsThis workshop will be convened by the Aspen Global Change Institute due to the institution's long-standing record for organizing and facilitating interdisciplinary science workshops on pressing global change topics important to humanity's future. This workshop series, now entering its 35th year, advances scientific understanding of priority topics in global change, strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration within the research community, and engages the public on the societal relevance of global change science. AGCI workshops have a track record of achieving influence by facilitating exchange of knowledge and interdisciplinary cooperation. Workshop presentations and public lectures are video-recorded and made available on AGCI's website. Workshop findings are often published in leading scientific journals such as Science and Nature Climate Change, and are utilized to inform broader research agendas.
Project Methods
AGCI staff work closely with volunteer co-chairs throughout the workshop life cycle to design the workshop goals and agenda and to recruit a diverse participant roster. Co-chairs are well-recognized leaders in their individual disciplines, whose combined expertise represents the interdisciplinary breadth of the workshop topic.METHODS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTAGCI employs a distinctive and time-tested approach to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and continues to overcome logistical and institutional obstacles to interdisciplinary activities (NASEM 2004; NRC 2014). AGCI workshops are characterized by their integrative, intimate, and intensive nature - convening approximately 30 participants with diverse expertise for a week of focused presentations and discussions on a designated topic. This extended format provides the necessary time for participants to share their topical expertise, contribute to plenary and breakout group discussions, and build connections with each other through informal discussions outside of planned events.All attendees are invited as full participants, regardless of career stage, with opportunities to present on their research, lead discussions, and contribute to post-workshop outputs and publications. This approach to workshop design provides common frameworks across scientific disciplines, and establishes a workshop culture of active engagement, community, and collaboration.AGCI workshops provide a rare but crucial venue for participants to develop a common language, new understanding, and ideas for productive next steps. Our approach to workshop organization complements larger convenings hosted by professional societies and agencies, which may be more disciplinary in focus or limited in duration.METHODS FOR PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENTAGCI recruits approximately 30 in-person participants and 10 virtual participants per workshop through a careful process designed to maximize a diversity of perspectives, expertise, geographies, career stages, and demographics among attendees. Workshop co-chairs, in consultation with AGCI staff and federal agencies, draw on their knowledge and experience of the field to identify areas of expertise to include at the workshop.The co-chairs then develop a participant roster that reflects those areas of expertise, by drawing on co-chairs' existing networks, literature reviews and utilizing voluntary databases of scientists from underrepresented groups, to broaden participation beyond established research networks. AGCI requires co-chairs to cite how suggested participants' expertise and background meet workshop needs and why they have been selected. AGCI may also circulate an open call for participants to apply to attend. AGCI explicitly offers options to support invitees' accessibility and caretaking needs in order to overcome participation barriers.Because formal and informal feedback confirms that AGCI workshops can have significant influence on participants' career development, AGCI works carefully to ensure diverse and inclusive rosters. By design, the vast majority (83%) of AGCI workshop participants are first-time attendees. Most participants are from universities, federal agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, or are independent scholars. Participants include senior, mid-career, and early career professionals - since 2018, 32% of participants self-identified as early career (within seven years of receiving their terminal educational degree).METHODS FOR ADVANCING DEIAAGCI regularly engages experts on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) to identify practices that create positive and inclusive scientific meeting spaces, both in-person and virtual. To that end, AGCI has led a collaboration of the Earth Science Women's Network, 500 Women Scientists, and other professional societies serving underrepresented groups in the sciences to develop a "Guide to Planning Inclusive Scientific Meetings." AGCI has adapted the practices in this guide for our own specific context in order to cultivate more diverse rosters and create an inclusive workshop culture and physical workshop space. To this end, our actions span the entire workshop planning and implementation process.Upon registration, workshop participants are asked for their gender pronouns and required to agree to AGCI's workshop code of conduct. AGCI also distributes a print version of this code of conduct in each participant's folder and reviews it in the opening presentation at every workshop. The code of conduct outlines standards of expected behavior, examples of unacceptable behavior, such as harassment, consequences of code violation(s), and guidance on informal and formal reporting. The code of conduct is available at agci.org/agci-code-of-conduct.The pre-workshop registration process also includes an anonymous demographics survey that asks about participant career stage, age, education level, if they are the first in their family to attend college, country of origin, gender identity, ethnicity, race, preferred language, caregiving responsibilities, and ability (including a "Prefer not to respond" option for all questions). Survey results are not linked in any way to participants' personal records out of respect for privacy, and data is stored in a private and encrypted format. Survey results help AGCI evaluate our ongoing effort to foster diversity and inclusion in our workshops.At the outset of every workshop, AGCI leadership reaffirms its commitment to DEIA and encourages participants to be allies of DEIA in their own work. AGCI proactively confronts some participants' experience of "imposter syndrome" by asserting at the workshop outset that all participants have valuable experience and expertise to identify and advance solutions to the workshop topic at hand. AGCI also introduces workshop-specific methods for engaging in discussion (e.g., raising name tents to engage in discussion instead of talking over one another).As part of our efforts to create inclusive communities, AGCI plans social activities throughout the workshop week. Participants' families and guests are also welcome at all group events. These measures and activities are designed to foster group cohesion, so no participant feels isolated or excluded. AGCI formally evaluates progress toward long-term DEIA goals through our post-workshop evaluation form, which invites feedback for future actions.METHODS FOR EVALUATION OF WORKSHOP IMPACTAGCI formally evaluates each workshop using questionnaires circulated during and one year after each workshop. At the close of each workshop, participants are asked to complete an anonymous evaluation form on the quality of workshop topic selection, presentation formats, logistical support, communication of science to the public, and DEIA practices. In our anniversary questionnaire, we also collect data on longer term outputs and collaborations resulting from each session.Workshop impacts also extend beyond attendees by way of AGCI's ongoing public lecture series, which affords an educational opportunity for members of the broader public and research community. This series is held in honor of Walter Orr Roberts, the founder of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The public lecture usually consists of a presentation by a workshop participant, followed by a question and answer session and reception with other participants. Through this design, each lecture affords members of the public an opportunity to both learn about cutting edge research and personally connect with scientists. The public lecture is live-streamed on Zoom, and a post-lecture video recording is also posted on our website and shared through our social media and YouTube channels.

Progress 12/01/23 to 11/30/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary focus over the length of the project was to convene a workshop entitled, "Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Dual Impact Actions to Address Climate Change and Improve Nutrition." Organized by Ahmed Kablan and Nika Larian (USAID), Shibani Ghosh and Robin Shrestha (Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, Tufts University), and Jean Buzby (USDA), the workshop aimed to develop recommendations to reduce food loss and waster (FLW) across geographies, with a particular emphasis on transforming sustainable food systems in low- and middle-income countries. The gathering brought together 34 experts hailing from 14 countries and a range of sectors and disciplines to understand the potential of technological, behavioral, and financial innovations that can reduce food loss and waste across the food supply chain.A primary audience of this project was these individuals - ensuring that they benefited from substantive peer learning and network building. Secondary audiences include those not in attendance at the workshop, but who will benefit indirectly from lessons learned in the effort. This includes colleagues of the workshop participants, workshop funders (USDA, NASA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab), communities served directly by workshop participants, and the broader research community looking to understand future directions for coordinated efforts to reduce food loss and waste. Changes/Problems:No major changes occured over the course of the project.One challenge over the workshop week, and in discourse about FLW more broadly, is identifying cross-regional opportunities to scale reduction strategies. While many participants reflected in evaluations on how much they valued learning from peers in other countries, it was challenging at times to discuss opportunities that can translate across geographies in discrete terms. In synthesis sessions, however, participants were tasked with enumerating tangible case studies to illustrate many of the cross-regional themes with greater specificity. These regional case studies are being integrated into the synthesis white paper. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The workshop afforded all workshop organizers and participants with a significant professional development opportunities, regardless of career stage. In the post-workshop evaluation, participants gave overwhelmingly positive evaluations with comments highlighting the richness of discussion, a welcoming and supportive environment, and transformative networking experiences across disciplines and geographies. A majority of participants also reported positive impacts on their career development including broadening of their professional network (86%), deepening existing relationships (76%), motivation to work across disciplines (62%), and in their own field (76%). Many participants also reported that they anticipated the workshops would improve the quality of their work (58%) or spark a new career or research direction (24%). Selected Comments from Evaluations: "The technical level was impressively high and the team was so supportive all the time, so lovely and they make me felt at home :) it was an amazing experience" "The workshop was represented by the experts from all over the world. Learning from other countries is very useful and we can initiate some of the activities in our own country. The discussion was so enriched we learned a lot of new things and new ideas were generated. The overall management and logistics were excellent. The venue is superb with all modern facilities." "WONDERFUL WEEK. Thank you so much - I have NEVER had a more productive space to network and form new collaborations, and I have been to many many of these sort of workshops. THANK YOU." "??An overall appreciation for the warm and creative environment that was provided by AGCI" How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Workshop participants have already begun sharing programmatic and research recommendations through their various networks and institutions, and incorporating lessons into their daily work. AGCI is briefing funders on key takeaways through various funder reports and presentations. Once the workshop white paper has been finalized, it will be published as an open access resource to facilitate dissemination among the broader research community. In the meantime, the extended workshop description, participant profiles, workshop agenda, video recordings, presentations, and other educational materials are available to the public on the workshop webpage: https://www.agci.org/workshops/foodlossandwaste. This includes the workshop's public lecture entitled, "Why Food Systems Hold the Key to Reversing Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss," by Pete Pearson (World Wildlife Fund), which was designed to be in accessible language to engage the public on the societal relevance of this workshop topic. The public lecture was given for a general audience in person and livestreamed on Zoom: https://www.agci.org/resources/a12Nu000003A3qvIAC/walter-orr-roberts-memorial-public-lecture-why-food-systems-hold-the-key-to-reversing-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Major Activities Planning and coordination of the workshop took place over more than a year, with major activities including the execution of workshop logistics, as well as the development and implementation of a scaffolded workshop program to address the proposed objectives. Before the workshop AGCI staff and co-chairs engaged in regular planning calls to develop a roster and program for the workshop that addressed the proposed objectives. AGCI staff also oversaw participant invitations, registrations, travel logistics, and contracting aspects of the workshop. Workshop Program Overview The AGCI workshop opened with presentations outlining the state of food loss and waste and the benefits of FLW reduction in several countries and regions across the globe, including the U.S.. Participants on regional panels presented strategies for reducing food loss or waste, with attention to "triple win" approaches that improve nutrition security, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and are affordable (addressing multiple global issues at once). Globally, goal setting and policy development to reduce food loss and waste vary enormously. While some countries aggressively pursue such targets, others have set goals but lack the policies or plans to achieve them, and others still struggle to capture baseline data to understand the problem and set meaningful goals. Day 1 concluded with a session on biotechnology and novel food options to reduce FLW. Day 2 continued with a session on tailoring combinations of innovations to reduce FLW. The next session focused on behavioral change among different actors in the supply chain, emphasizing opportunities for public-private partnerships, working with chain brands, and enabling regulatory conditions. Day 3 continued the discussion on behavioral change with a panel on stakeholder engagement in evaluating readiness to scale FLW innovations. Day 4 reviewed financing mechanisms through making the economic case for action, sustainable development finance, and mechanisms for monetizing mitigation benefits. The following session was focused on addressing key FLW data gaps, with presentations providing examples of innovative approaches to measure FLW across scales from the household level, to within a country, to across shipping routes. Synthesis discussions began on Day 4 with breakout groups tasked with prioritizing research, data, policy and program needs at the pre-farmgate, post-farmgate, and retail/consumer stages of the supply chain. On Day 5 writing teams spent the last half day together drafting synthesis reflections and case studies to support the development of the post-workshop white paper. Data Collected Documentation of discussions, breakout groups, and individual journaling on the workshop objectives were captured throughout the workshop. In addition, video recordings of workshop proceedings are published on the AGCI website, extending the impact of workshops to audiences beyond workshop participants. Summary / Discussion of Findings Addressing Key FLW Data Gaps Participants across regions highlighted the need for consistent definitions and metrics to address limited data interoperability and improve evaluation of reduction strategies. Standardized metrics, measurement protocols, and data sharing are key to making the case in low-resourced environments for the value of prioritizing policies that reduce FLW. These data and metrics could also be leveraged in more sophisticated diagnostic tools to pinpoint loss and waste hot spots along local food supply chains, which can inform tailored interventions, behavior change campaigns, and financial investments. The participants recommended dedicated engagement of private, public, and NGO communities to coordinate and enhance existing national and international standards with clear definitions relevant to prevention practices, rescue, recovery, donation, redistribution, trade, and valorization. Scaling Up Innovations and Technologies There are myriad opportunities in low- and middle-income countries to scale up basic technologies and innovations to reduce post-harvest losses, including better handling and processing practices, improved preservation and storage, cold supply chains, and investment in infrastructure like reliable roadways, electricity, and communications. Innovations can be bundledfor localized contexts based on local stakeholder collaborations and enacted through public-private partnerships where appropriate. In low-resourced environments, innovations should pass the tests of consumer desirability, technical feasibility, and financial viability. Trainings can ensure local work forces are able to build and maintain new equipment and infrastructure. In some countries, there are also opportunities forbiotechnology innovationsandnovel foodsto improve nutrition and resilience to climate impacts. Behavior Change Across Key Actors Promoting behavior change is critical to prevent FLW,and messaging must be tailored to different key audiences, including smallholder farmers, processors, retailers, companies, and consumers. Trainings can help provide technical support for farmers, transporters, and especially processors to minimize handling and damage early in the supply chain. Wholesalers and retailers can be targeted with awareness campaigns aboutfood redistributionopportunities. In countries with high food waste, educating consumers about the scale of food waste and how their approach to purchasing, cooking, and leftovers can make a difference has been shown to be effective, as hasmaking the business case for FLW reduction, to incentivize implementation of needed innovations. Key stakeholders in high-food waste sectors like thehospitality industrycan be engaged on strategies to reduce food waste while saving costs. Financing FLW Reduction Financing and improved funding mechanisms are also in development to reduce FLW and associated methane emissions.Workshop participants highlighted opportunities to make the economic case for reducing FLW,incorporate FLW reduction into voluntary carbon credit markets, and provide tax incentives to reduce the barriers to known technologies in under-resourced environments. They noted that capital is ready to be mobilized, but often hard to connect with shovel-ready projects, and that multilateral funding partnerships that help de-risk investment are especially needed in areas that are most nutrition insecure. Participants recognized the importance of right-sizing investments and prioritizing more foundational infrastructure (such as power for cold storage facilities) before progressing to more advanced interventions. When strong local partners are identified, investing over medium to longer timelines (7-10 years) can help to break the cycle of short-term investment in deployment without critical support for sustained maintenance and progress. Key Outcomes Organizers and participants are preparing a variety of workshop outputs, including a peer-reviewed synthesis of workshop findings and reports to government agencies, funders, and the private sector highlighting priority development strategies and research projects (including data improvement, technologies, novel foods, behaviors, preferences, policies, and processes) to reduce food loss and waste. Participants are also planning actionable programmatic recommendations, tailored to specific regional contexts, to support sustainable food system transformation.

Publications