Goodbye waste, hello taste

820 million people globally are undernourished and more than 691 million of them are facing hunger. It is estimated that this year, an additional 122 million people will experience famine, while many households discard more than 254 kilograms of food per person per year.

More than 30% of the world’s food is lost along the way, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the Department of Livestock Development, one-third of the food produced, or approximately 1.3 million tons, is still edible or can be repurposed, but is wasted.

Thailand generates more than 17 million tons of food waste per year across the entire food supply chain yet in Bangkok alone, only 2% of food waste is recycled.

Addressing this crisis requires understanding two key terms:  “food waste”, which typically occurs at the final stages of the food chain in retail and consumption; and “food loss”, which refers to food discarded during production processes, from harvesting and transport to processing, such as substandard agricultural products.

Food waste involves everyone from consumers and vendors to the agricultural and industrial sectors, as well as policymakers. Solutions require adjustments in individual lifestyles and national regulations.

This crisis is so pressing that the UN has set a global goal to reduce food waste by half by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Thailand has responded by incorporating this into the country’s “blueprint” for waste management in Phase 1 (2022–2027), aiming to reduce both upstream and downstream waste by at least 25%.

To address the “food waste” crisis, I propose a four-step approach, emphasising the role of the private sector in collaboration with the government and the public. Here’s how:

Oversight – The public sector must implement control measures aligned with SDGs set by the United Nations Development Programme. These should include setting production quality standards to reduce losses at every stage, as well as setting household food waste management standards. Incentives could be offered through tax relief.

Promoting Technology – Starting with the private sector, there is a need for innovations that track quality to minimise losses at every stage, from harvesting and purchasing to delivery. Meanwhile, the public and private sectors can collaborate, such as through applications that allow consumers and stores to exchange surplus food.

Building Partnerships – The private sector must work with civil society as a third party in food waste reduction projects, strengthening the social support system. For example, establishing food banks that receive donations of non-expired food and distribute them to those in need. Regulations could be introduced.

Raising Awareness – What I call “Goodbye Waste, Hello Taste: Eat It All, Reduce Waste” could begin with educational programmes that instil knowledge about the imbalance between surplus food and food scarcity. The private sector could also work with communities by organising workshops on food preservation or sharing recipes that use leftover ingredients, as well as promoting sustainable products.

Clearly, the private sector plays a critical role in addressing this issue.

Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) and its subsidiaries are continuing their efforts to reduce food waste within their businesses to zero by 2030. As a member of the UN Global Compact Lead, CP’s goal aligns with the vision of Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of CP Group. Their 2030 waste reduction goal is based on the “Circular Economy” model, including donating 25,000 tons of surplus food to vulnerable social groups and producing 12,000 tons of fertiliser from food waste.

The “Eat Without Waste” x “Do not mix together” project is one of the initiatives led by CP’s subsidiary, CP Extra Public Company Limited, also known as Lotus’s. The Lotus’s go fresh stores, with 350 branches, have partnered with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to donate unsold but still “can safely eat and feel full “ (Edible Surplus Food) to BMA’s sanitation workers. Meanwhile, Lotus’s go fresh has implemented food waste separation measures to further repurpose the waste (Upcycling), such as producing fertilizer for public green spaces.

At the broader CP Group level, they have been driving the “National Food Bank” initiative to end hunger and are working with partner networks such as Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Thailand.

In 2023, CP Group donated over 8.8 million meals to children, youths, the underprivileged, and those in vulnerable situations, reaching over 10 million people. This marked an 84.6% increase from 2022.

As a private sector actor, reducing food waste is not just an environmental protection and problem-solving measure. It also provides support to those in need, sustains the lives of the hungry, reduces inequality, enhances human dignity, and advances human rights.

A balanced world is not only about reducing food waste but also about embracing fellow humans so that no one faces hunger or starvation. It is a new world where no one is left behind.
 
Teerapon Tanomsakyut, Chief Executive Officer for Corporate Sustainability and Strategy Development, Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited.