Erdoğan links food security and waste reduction to national stability ahead of COP31

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the opening ceremony of the World Food Forum in Rome, declaring that guaranteeing safe food is a fundamental element of Türkiye’s national security and that escalating food waste and hunger erode global peace and prosperity. He cited global reports indicating that households generate 60% of food waste and that roughly 1.5 billion tons of food are lost or wasted annually. Erdoğan pointed to domestic efforts, including the 2020 “Save Your Food, Take Care of Your Table” initiative and a national campaign that reduced bread waste by 18%, as well as the Zero Waste Movement launched nine years ago by first lady Emine Erdoğan.

He emphasized that Turkey will leverage these experiences at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya from Nov. 9-20, aiming to translate them into practical measures that unite food security with climate commitments. The president also reminded the audience that Turkey has nominated its candidate for the FAO director-general election.