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Food Safety

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste - 29 September

About the day

The United Nations General Assembly designated 29 September as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW). The day is co-convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the day's events are led jointly by the two organisations.

The goal is to raise awareness to the importance of the problem and its possible solutions at all levels, and to promote global efforts and collective action towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3, which targets to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains.

The European Commission welcomes this initiative and joins FAO, UNEP and other relevant organisations in the global call to action against food loss and waste.

IDAFLW 2025

The sixth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) will be observed on Monday, 29 September 2025. This year’s theme calls for expanding and strengthening stakeholder efforts to reduce food loss and waste, as a critical element of securing a sustainable food future for all.

The “Get Involved” guide for IDAFLW 2025, prepared by FAO and UNEP, is available online. It offers key facts and messages to support any communications you might have planned on the day, along with links to relevant FAO and UNEP resources. The guide also suggests activities that public and private stakeholders, as well as consumers, can undertake to contribute to reducing food loss and waste.

Are you planning any events to celebrate the IDAFLW 2025? Share them with a growing community of experts and practitioners on the EU Food Loss and Waste Prevention Hub!

Past editions