File photo used for representation only.
Doha, Qatar: In a bid to reduce food waste, the Ministry of Municipality is preparing to launch a nationwide project for measuring food loss and waste throughout the supply chain and at household, said a top official.
“We conducted a survey on a small scale in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - West Asia Office to assess the situation of food waste in the country,” said Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al Marri.
Speaking to The Peninsula, he said based on the results of this survey, the department prepared to move to the main phase of implementing a nationwide project to specify the baseline for setting a target to reduce food waste.
“The project will be implemented in cooperation with Qatar University to find the baseline and sources of food waste during production, storage, consumption, and at household level,” said Al Marri. He said the survey will find out what types of food commodities are being wasted the most.
“The project aims at reducing both, food loss and waste. The food loss occurs before reaching to the consumers. Based on the results of the survey, appropriate solutions will be adopted to reduce the food loss and waste such as educating school students, service providers, consumers and households to influence their behaviours to adopt a healthy practice.
“The survey, which is expected to take one and a half years, will provide a baseline for food waste to target the rate of reducing the food waste in the country,” said Al Marri.
Speaking about the launch of the survey, he said: “We are in the phase of awarding the project to Qatar University. Necessary paper work is being done which is expected to complete within two months.”
In April 2022, the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality in cooperation with UNEP - West Asia Office, implemented the first phase of the study, to establish a national food waste baseline in Qatar, with the aim of formulating appropriate policies and raising awareness on the food waste issue.
The National Food Waste Baseline provides a benchmark for measuring national performance in implementing activities to reduce food waste, by establishing a consistent framework to quantify food waste generation and to track progress towards the target of halving food waste.
During the first phase in February and March 2022, food leftovers were collected and sorted at household levels within Doha Municipality, in coordination with the General Cleanliness Department and the Waste Recycling and Treatment Department.
Speaking about Qatar National Food Security Strategy 2024-30, Al Marri said the new strategy is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2024.
He said the strategy will be approved in the second quarter and will then be launched in cooperation with all partners from government and private sectors.
“Under the new strategy, the self-sufficiency rate of fresh food production has been revised and new targets for the next seven years will be announced,” said Al Marri.
