New system set up in Bangkok to combat surplus food, boost security

Excess food that is safe to consume but is discarded due to unattractive appearance or because it is close to expiring contributes significantly to pollution when it ends up in landfills.

Thailand produces some 4 million tonnes of surplus food per year, which can be distributed to vulnerable groups to reduce waste and boost food security in the country.

So, to tackle this problem, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), in collaboration with the Scholars of Sustenance (SOS Thailand) and several other partner organisations, launched the “Thailand Food Bank Project: Managing Surplus Food for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability” on Wednesday.

The launch event took place at the Klong Song Krathiam School in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district, supported by funding from the Agricultural Research Development Agency.

Patamaporn Prachumrat, a policy researcher at NSTDA, said an automated matching platform developed by the agency was being used in conjunction with the Cloud Food Bank platform to connect donors with those in need.

SOS Thailand acts as an intermediary, ensuring allocation and distribution of food. Since its inception in 2016, SOS Thailand has been collecting surplus food and preparing community meals for vulnerable groups in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Phuket.

Food donors are required to adhere to food safety guidelines that match the government’s bio-circular-green (BCG) policy to ensure the food distributed is high-quality, safe and nutritious to consume.

“In the future, NSTDA plans to use data from the automated matching platform to develop datasets that will help private sector donors link their contribution to food waste reduction with carbon credits. This initiative will help businesses enhance their export prospects,” Patamaporn said.

Tawee Impoolsup, operations manager at SOS Thailand, said the NGO has redistributed more than 8,000 tonnes of surplus food, or about 35 million meals, to more than 3,600 communities, reducing 21,166 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Donors of the food include manufacturers, restaurants, hotels and businesses related to food sales and raw ingredients, as well as individuals with unexpired food items they do not need. Recipients are typically underprivileged communities, civil society organisations, volunteer groups, charitable organisations, schools and state care centres.

SOS Thailand, meanwhile, acts as an intermediary, collecting food from donors and distributing it to recipients within a day to minimise food spoilage.

Separately, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s BKK Food Bank project also gives donors a channel to distribute surplus food to vulnerable groups. There are plans to set up a Thailand Food Bank, that will serve as a central hub for surplus food distribution on a far larger scale

Walairat Apinainat, GM of corporate planning at AEON (Thailand) Co, Ltd, said that since 2022, the 24 or so branches of AEON’s MaxValu supermarkets have been contributing to the food donation project. More than half of the donated surplus food comprises vegetables and fruits.

“We notify SOS Thailand before 9am to pickup the food within the same day to ensure it remains beneficial to recipients,” Walairat said.

Chef Attapol Thangthong from Bangkok Marriott Hotel the Surawongse said typically 60% of their food is surplus. “However, after joining the project, we have reduced the waste to 40%,” he said.