"We will continue to disseminate this program not just in cities, but also all the way up to districts and villages," main secretary of Bapanas, Sarwo Edi, said here on Monday.
The information dissemination will be undertaken to encourage people to not use excessive ingredients while cooking, which can lead to food waste and food loss, he explained.
According to Edi, Bapanas has initiated food waste reduction as a primary step for supporting sustainable industry under the "Indonesia Bebas Food Waste" (Indonesia Free of Food Waste) program.
The food waste reduction program is a response to the results of research by Costas Velis from the University of Leeds, which found that the world produces 1.3 billion tons of food waste every year.
A similar phenomenon has been recorded in Indonesia, which produces between 23 and 48 tons of food waste every year.
The food waste, if well managed, can be used to feed 61 million to 125 million people in Indonesia, Edi explained.
Ahead of the 2023 Eid al-Fitr when people often cook meals for social gatherings, Bapanas has intensified information dissemination on reducing food waste.
Edi urged the public to be more careful in managing food ingredients to prevent food waste.
"If, for instance, you have too much food and it can still be consumed, it can be shared with our less fortunate friends," he said.
The call to reduce food waste is also expected to reach food ingredient entrepreneurs or distributors.
The expectation is that the potential creation of food waste from unprocessed ingredients will be minimized.
If companies such as food distributors or factories have excessive ingredients that are not sold, these can be given to special agencies such as the Foodbank of Indonesia, he said.
These ingredients can then be processed and given to the people who need them, he added.
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Translator: Livia K, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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