ISLAMABAD: The United Nations (UN) has created two new international days devoted to the issues directly related to food and agriculture for observance in 2020.

Recommended by the general conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ‘International Tea Day’ will be observed on May 21 while ‘International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste’ will be commemorated annually on Sept 29. The UN General Assembly has also designated 2021 as the ‘International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.’

The observance of ‘Tea Day’ proposed by China is meant to acknowledge and promote the herb’s contribution to human health, socialisation, cultural heritage, rural development and sustainable livelihoods.

Tea is a major cash crop for millions of families in developing countries and as a labour-intensive sector, including processing, the industry provides jobs in remote and economically disadvantaged areas.

UN says ‘International Tea Day’ will be observed on May 21 while Sept 29 will be ‘International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste’

Tea is grown in Pakistan at the National Tea and High Value Crops Research Institute in Shinkiari near Mansehra in an area spreading over 50 acres. This is the country’s first tea garden where black and green tea is produced.

FAO in a report says Pakistan is among the seven countries where per capita consumption of tea has increased. Currently, black tea consumption in Pakistan has been estimated at 172,911 tons which is expected to increase to 250,755 tons in 2027. This showed in next ten years, tea consumption will increase by 77,844 tons in Pakistan.

The observance of ‘International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29 offers an opportunity to sharpen focus on the need to reduce food loss and waste and how doing so can contribute to sustainable development.

An estimated 14 per cent of the world’s food is lost after harvesting and before reaching the retail level, including through on-farm activities, storage and transportation. However, the food losses vary considerably from one region to another within the same commodity groups and supply chain stages.

As explored in depth in the ‘State of Food and Agriculture’, food loss and waste entails significant emissions that exacerbate the challenge of climate change as well as impact on food security.

Losses and waste are generally higher for fruits and vegetables than for cereals and pulses at all stages in the food supply chain with the exception of on-farm losses and those during transportation in eastern and southeastern Asia.

FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend that each adult consumes at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases, including heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as to counter micronutrient deficiencies.

Advocacy for fresh produce also fits well with the aim of strengthening the role of smallholders and family farmers, and fosters broaden market options for millions of rural families. Gender equity opportunities are also noteworthy as women often play leading roles for their households in both the production and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2019