A new CEN Workshop is being planned as part of the activities of the EU project FOLOU - 'Bringing knowledge and consensus to prevent and reduce food loss at the primary production stage'. This project raises awareness about food loss and dares to rethink it, putting the emphasis on listening and learning in relation to food systems in the hope for a better way forward.
Food is being lost in our primary processes before it even leaves the farm. And this reality has negative impacts on our society in the form of contributing to food insecurity, generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and adding pressures to land and water resources. But can we do something about these 'hidden losses' of food?
The FOLOU project explores this question via the launch of several case studies across the EU which measure food losses in real farming contexts. It also seeks to address the lack of knowledge, common measurements and methods at the technical, scientific and regulatory levels. The opportunity for standardization in this area has therefore been proposed by the FOLOU project in the form of a CEN Workshop. The focus will be to expound a methodology for the measurement of Food Loss in primary production, including aspects such direct measurements at parcel, plot, farm or pond level, as well as data extrapolation.
The outcome of the Workshop will be a CEN Workshop Agreement that will be a useful tool for estimating food losses in particular territory and activity. There will also be a focus on innovative technologies and how these can enhance process efficiency. In this way, the proposed CWA seeks to close critical knowledge gaps and apply a consensus-based approach, enabling adaptation across various sectors and food categories, while remaining cost-effective.
The kick-off meeting for the Workshop will be an online meeting on 12th December 2025 from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm (CEST).
All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft Project Plan using the commenting form below, to the Workshop Secretary, Rosa Cepas (rcepas@une.org), by 6th December 2025.
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