IDE Online Magazine Mayo 2017 | Page 111

To this end the Initiative focuses on organising periodic events in the form of the SAVE FOOD Congress, which has been organised as part of interpack since 2011, as well as the SAVE FOOD Meetings in the years in-between interpack in cooperation with branded product manufacturers from the food industry. After the first meeting at Nestlé in Vevey/Switzerland last year, the second meeting took place in Madrid involving the Spanish industry associations “Exporters’ and Investors’ Club” and AECOC/GS1. In September 2016 Queen Letizia of Spain was among the participants.

The Initiative funds studies in developing and threshold countries that are conducted by the FAO with a view to generating insights about food losses. The results of the latest field study in India were presented at the SAVE FOOD Congress 2017.

A best case example of a concrete cooperation is the mango project in Kenya. Endowed with equipment, expertise and initial funding by SAVE FOOD members, the local enterprise Azuri Health processes mangos into dried fruit. In this Eastern African country some 300,000 tons of mango are lost every year because they are either not harvested or

processed in time. The project has developed very well – shortly the products will even be exported as far away as to Japan.

In addition to this, there is a special show about SAVE FOOD – the innovationparc at interpack 2017. Some 20 companies and organizations showcase their products and approaches there.

The future engagements of the Initiative focus on China and Thailand, to name but two countries. Messe Düsseldorf is already active organizing events in China and Asia, respectively and therefore maintains excellent contacts there.

For more information on the SAVE FOOD Initiative, the Congress

agenda at interpack on 4 May, go to www.save-food.org.