Published: May 2025
Authors: Ximena Gonzalez-Revilla
How do evolving efforts to establish a food waste reduction law in Panama highlight the importance of stakeholder collaboration to ensure its successful development? A successful food waste law for Panama would help to mitigate both food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal for such a food waste legal framework is to formalize economically advantageous food-waste management practices for businesses and to increase the scope of food donations to reduce food insecurity across the country. It is crucial to create public-private partnerships amongst the different actors that are sustainable and efficient in the long-term. Prioritizing communication, coordination, and engagement amongst stakeholders and sectors will be beneficial to all stakeholders as the legislation is then shaped around everyone’s interests.
This research summary was developed by Ximena Gonzales-Revilla, a 2025 Duke University graduate in Environmental Science & Policy and Political Science with a focus on Political Economy.