Champions 12.3 is a coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organizations, research institutions, farmer groups, and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 by 2030.
Members are senior executives of these institutions, including ministers, chief executive officers, and executive directors. Executives preside over institutions that have the ability to impact food loss and waste reduction at scale and that are dedicated to meeting Target 12.3.
Origins
At the 2015 United Nations General Assembly, countries of the world formally adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. SDG 12 seeks to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” The third target under this goal (Target 12.3) calls for cutting in half per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reducing food losses along production and supply chains (including post-harvest losses) by 2030.
To help convert Target 12.3 into reality, the global multi-stakeholder summit “No More Food to Waste” proposed developing a group of executives who would champion the cause of achieving SDG Target 12.3 --or Champions 12.3. During the United Nations General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, the government of The Netherlands formally called for its formation.
Aspirations: Dedicate, Lead, Showcase, Advocate
Champions do the following:
Dedicate to meeting Target 12.3
- Contribute to the global achievement of Target 12.3.
- Encourage others to pursue efforts to reduce food loss and waste.
Lead by example on how to reduce food loss and waste
- Quantify food loss and waste and monitor progress.
- Pursue strategies to reduce food loss and waste.
Showcase successes and communicate to peers and media the importance of food loss and waste reduction
- Raise awareness among governments, the private sector, and citizens about the issue of food loss and waste, the benefits of addressing it, and how to do so.
- Publicize and celebrate successes in reducing food loss and waste, thereby educating and motivating others.
Advocate for improving the enabling conditions for reducing food loss and waste when engaging other leaders, for example:
- Leverage relationships to persuade development banks, governments, donors, and/or the private sector to increase financing for strategies needed to meet Target 12.3.
- Leverage relationships to encourage efforts to close data gaps and build the capacity needed to meet Target 12.3.
Criteria for Becoming a Champion
- Must be the executive of an entity (e.g. CEO, President, Executive Director, Minister). Exceptions to this rule are granted by the Steering Committee only sparingly.
- Must be actively involved in reducing food loss and waste within own organization (including adopting the Target-Measure-Act approach) and externally. Champions are highly visible advocates and spokespeople on the issue within global decision-making venues.
- The Steering Committee also balances geography, diversity, and sectors when considering new Champions.
Activities
Champions convene several times per year, leveraging existing events at which a critical mass of Champions will already be in attendance. During convenings, Champions:
- Assess world progress toward achieving Target 12.3.
- Share how leaders are pursuing food loss and waste reduction; overcoming barriers; and achieving economic, food security, and environmental benefits.
- Publicize in the global and national media new analyses on food loss and waste, success stories of effective food loss and waste reduction, and what remaining barriers need the attention of policymakers, companies, financiers, researchers, and innovators.
- Identify windows of opportunity to advance improvements in enabling conditions (e.g., upcoming policy decisions, upcoming investment programs).
Between convenings, Champions lead by example, showcase, and advocate in a manner aligned with their interests and capabilities.
Secretariat
The Government of the Netherlands and World Resources Institute (WRI) jointly provide secretariat support to Champions 12.3, organize the convenings, and coordinate preparation of background analyses and media outreach materials.