Friedbert Klefenz has been Chairman of the Board of Bosch’s Packaging Technology Division since April 2002. Furthermore, he is responsible for the product segments Confectionery & Food as well as Liquid Food.
Friedbert Klefenz was born in Mannheim in 1955. In 1978 he graduated in mechanical engineering from the Aalen University of Applied Sciences as a Dipl.-Ing. and went on to study industrial engineering at the Technical University in Berlin (TU Berlin), graduating as a certified industrial engineer in 1980. 1980 saw him join Siemens Kraftwerkunion as a Project Manager for power plants in Africa and the Middle East. From 1986 to 1998 he held various positions at Pharmaplan and Fresenius ProServe, acting as a General Manager last.
3 Questions to… Friedbert Klefenz
1. Which aspect of the food loss and waste problem is the most relevant for you?
It’s particularly important to never lose sight of the core objective: Seeking out solutions to fight global food losses and food waste in order to ensure that, in future, less food is lost on the way to and in the hands of consumers.
2. And what should be done to improve things in this field?
The best way is to use innovative technology that serves people’s needs in specific ways. Packaging makes food easier to transport over long distances and provides for a longer shelf life. In this context, specialised technology solutions must take into account local conditions in countries with inadequate supply structures.
Types of packaging unsuitable for the final consumer still exist in many emerging countries. For example, we often see food being sold in not-very-sterile, large-volume sacks weighing 25 kilograms or more. With the help of packaging equipment, sensitive products such as flour, rice, salt or sugar can be hygienically packaged in one-kilogram bags. That way, goods reach people in the promised quantities and in excellent condition.
3.Which role does the Initiative SAVE FOOD play in fighting food losses and food waste in your opinion?
The Initiative brings together a variety of actors, creates permanent awareness and bundles strengths, which serves to make potential measures more feasible, among other things. The FAO has founded interdisciplinary working groups, for example. In addition to surveys on the causes of global food losses, studies examining suitable packaging solutions in developing countries also been conducted, in part to enable the improved utilisation of locally available packaging materials.
