UNICARIBE faculty, administrative staff and students participated in a training session on the use of the OptiWaste application, a free tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which allows organizations and institutions to measure, monitor and make decisions aimed at reducing food waste.

In the Dominican Republic, OptiWaste is currently being used in schools to generate information to help improve the nutritional quality of school meals and reduce waste. This pilot plan has started in some schools, including the Eugenio María de Hostos Educational Center, located in the province of La Altagracia. The use of the application makes it possible to evaluate the acceptability of food from the School Meals Program (PAE) and to manage waste more efficiently.

The meeting was attended by Wilmel Terrero, FAO Food Security Specialist in the Dominican Republic, and Luciana, FAO Technical Advisor in Rome, who discussed the potential of this tool and its practical application in monitoring and awareness processes regarding food loss and waste.

This initiative is being developed within the framework of the TCP/DOM/4001 project, “Promoting efficient and resilient food systems in the Dominican Republic”, promoted by FAO between 2024 and 2026. The activity is also articulated with the recently created Network of Awareness and Sensitization for the Reduction of Food Losses and Waste (REPDA), strengthening UNICARIBE’s commitment to training, sustainability and the promotion of more efficient and responsible food systems.

UNICARIBE was represented by Edith Moya, Dean of the School of Business; Nidia Martínez, Executive Assistant; Yolenny Cuello, Coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management and Renewable Energies; César Robles, Coordinator of the Hospitality, Tourism and Gastronomy Career; Professors Augusto Torres and Ligia Taveras; and students Diana Morales and Kamila Méndez, members of the Research Seminar on Energy Resources and the Environment (SIREMA).

Author:
M. Julián C. Peña-Bermúdez, Eng.