Foodbank Vietnam provides food to people in need. (Photo: www.foodbankvietnam.com)HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Young people play animportant role in reducing food waste and contributing to food security, said NguyenTuan Khoi, founder and CEO of non-profit Foodbank Vietnam.
The workshop, with the theme of “Food Waste and Youth’s Responsibility”held recently in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that many young people weretaking part in Foodbank Vietnam to minimise food waste and educatepeople about not wasting food.
“We are distributing food to needy people and reducing foodwastage in the country,” Khoi said.
A survey by Electrolux of 4,000 households acrosseight countries found that Vietnam ranked second in the food wasteindex in the Asia-Pacific region, following China.
After more than one year of operation, Foodbank Vietnam has contacted foodstores and a wholesale market to receive expired food that is still usable.
It is also soliciting donations of food from companies andorganisations to give to the needy.
In addition, it provides free food to 10 social welfare centres andshelters in HCM City, with more than 5,000 meals provided each month.
Khoi said that he hoped the model would be expanded across the country.
Craig A. Nemitz, director of field services of the Global FoodBanking Network,said food security, climate change and malnutrition could no longerbe addressed separately.
Conflict and climate extremes as well as variability are the key driversof growing hunger rates, threatening to reverse gains made in ending hunger andmalnutrition.
Hunger has a high cost to individuals, families and society, and hasbecome a growing trend after decades of progress, he said.
It is estimated that 30 percent of food produced eachyear is wasted or lost.
Food insecurity exists in every country. Ending hunger builds human capital andeconomies, and can boost global GDP by US$276 billion in 2030, according toNemitz.
“It has a huge payoff for individuals, societies and the world.”
"We produce enough food but access is limited, and too much is lost,"he noted.
Climate change is also a factor. About 1.3 million tonnes of edible foodare lost or wasted annually.
The total cropland, for example, used to grow food that is never eaten is equalto almost all the cropland in Africa.
“If greenhouse gases from food landfills were a country, it would rank third inemissions after the US and China,” Nemitz said.
The food bank model was uniquely positioned to address both the paradox ofglobal food insecurity and food loss and waste, he said.
About 62.5 million hungry people are served by food banks with around 2.68million metric tonnes of food.
The Global Foodbank Network model reaches 32 countries with 811 food banks.
“Food banks can play a vital role in creating a more environmentallysustainable, just and equitable society, with their tremendouscollective impact on reducing hunger, food waste, and greenhouse gas emissionsthat contribute to climate change,” Nemitz said.
He called on young people to take part in activities to avoid food wasteand loss.
“The problems of hunger, malnutrition and under-nutrition are solvable. Changethe world, we can do this,” he said.
Chinoros Benjachavakul, vice resident of C.P Vietnam, said that onequarter to one third of all food produced for human consumption was lost orwasted.
Of the figure, about 56 percent of lost or wasted food was in developedcountries and 44 percent in developing countries.
Young people play an important role. "Changing our behavior andhabits can help reduce food loss and waste,” he said.
“We should shop 'smart', depending to our needs only and understand expirationdates,” he said, adding that some food can be used for a certain time beyondthe expiration date.
Huynh Nhat Tan, 20, a student at the HCM City University of Food Industry,said public awareness about the negative impact of food waste on theenvironment would help reduce food waste.
“I'm willing to join hands with Foodbank Vietnam’s activities as a volunteerto reduce food waste,” he said.
Foodbank Vietnam is run by VTVCorp and the Youth Social Welfare Centre of C.P. VietnamLivestock Corporation, with support from the government-sponsored VietnamCouncil of the Red Cross. — VNS/VNA
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