6 / 24
On behalf of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized Agency of the United Nations, I would
like to commend Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in Europe (HOTREC) and the European Federation of Food Banks
(FEBA) for their joint initiative to develop guidelines to reduce food waste and manage food donations across
Europe.
This is an exemplary contribution to the celebrations of the International Year
of Sustainable Tourism for Development in 2017, which I trust will inspire
others around the world to follow.
The International Year emphasises the need for all tourism stakeholders
to act responsibly towards people and planet. This is an all-encompassing
need that reaches into each of the many tourism industries, and we are very
pleased to see hospitality leading this effort.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that one-third of
all food produced gets lost or wasted along the food supply chain. A great
proportion gets wasted or lost at the end of the supply chain including at
hotels and restaurants.
With 73 billion tourist meals estimated to be currently served per year at a global level, it is clear that the tourism
sector has a big responsibility towards safeguarding food supply and stock. Tourism can and must play an
important role in raising awareness of the value of food. Tourism can promote changes in food management
and consumption with very positive environmental and economic results. It can garner the power of the billions
of tourists travelling each year making them a force for positive change.
At the end of 2015, 196 governments agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are
at once a tremendous opportunity and an immense responsibility. With the aim to end extreme poverty, curb
inequality and fight climate change, achieving all 17 Goals will require the participation of all.
SDG 12 seeks to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”. The third target under this Goal is
to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, while target 12.b calls for tools to monitor
tourism’s contribution to sustainable development.
UNWTO as the UN specialized agency for tourism is actively advancing programmes related to the SDGs. In
particular, UNWTO is addressing SDG 12 through the Sustainable Tourism Programme within the 10-Year
Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP). This programme
promotes evidence-based decision making, efficiency, innovation and collaboration as key tools for monitoring
the sustainability of tourism consumption including food waste.
In this vein, I believe that the tourism sector has not just responsibility, but also great potential to contribute to
food waste reduction and the management of food donations globally.
As we celebrate 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, I wish to invite all
readers to be inspired by the cross-sectorial cooperation being displayed in the launch of this initiative, and
celebrate the transformative power of tourism through your own efforts. Each action count and all together we
can make a difference for people and planet.
Taleb Rifai
MESSAGE FROM MR. TALEB RIFAI,
SECRETARY GENERAL OF UNWTO
I wish to invite all readers to
be inspired by the cross-
sectorial cooperation being
displayed in the launch of
this initiative, and celebrate
the transformative power of
tourism
Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary General
6
European hospitality industry guidelines to reduce food waste and recommendations to manage food donations