A/69/275 more than half of world annual cereal production. 22 Food waste varies significantly by country and region. In developing countries, food waste and losses principally occur during the early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to constraints on harvesting techniques and deficient storage facilities. In developed countries, however, food is mainly wasted or lost at a later stage in the supply chain, with the behaviour of consumers having a significant impact. 23 In Europe and North America, for example, per capita food loss and waste amounts to 280 -300 kg per year, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa and South and South-East Asia it amounts to 120–170 kg per year. 24 Food waste has a considerable environmental impact, with the vast amount of food going to landfills adding to global warming. 23 52. The High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security stresses the importance of reducing food waste. 24 The Special Rapporteur supports the call for the development of global protocols to measure food loss and waste, with due sensitivity to the large number of variables and national specificities, so as to improve the reliability, comparability and transparency of the data. 53. Innovative ideas for tackling food waste are needed. One of the goals established by the Zero Hunger Challenge, launched by the Secretary-General at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, is to achieve zero loss or waste of food by minimizing the losses which occur during storage and transport by retailers and consumers; empowering consumer choice through appropriate labelling; encouraging commitment by producers, retailers and consumers of all nations; and achieving progress through financial incentives, collective pledges, locally relevant technologies and changed behaviour. While the challenge does not rely on legally binding obligations, it offers States an opportunity to review current policies in relation to food waste. Several constructive steps have been taken by some States to reduce food waste, including the Waste and Resources Action Programme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more. The Special Rapporteur plans to examine such examples of good practice and, during her official missions, will assess the degree of food waste in the countries concerned. F. Right to food in emergency situations and armed conflict 54. The world is currently blighted by a plethora of humanitarian crises and armed conflicts, which are having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people around the globe. While 19 per cent of the poorest people in the world now live in fragile and conflict-affected places, it is estimated that this will increase to 40 per cent by 2030 if current trends continue. 25 The international community must take greater responsibility for emergency food crises derived from natural or human - __________________ 22 23 24 25 14-58889 Jenny Gustavsson and others, “Global food losses and food waste: extent, causes and prevention”, FAO (2011). United Nation Environment Programme, The Environmental Crisis. The Environment’s Role in Averting Future Food Crises (2009). High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, “Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems” (2014), available from www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe. World Bank, “Fragile and conflict-affected situations”, issue brief, April 2014. 15/18