According to data provided by the agency, on average, one person in Indonesia wastes as much as 115 to 185 kilograms of food per year. Meanwhile, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recorded 1.3 billion tons of food wasted per year.
"We aim to promote the Selamatkan Pangan movement to reduce food waste. It should be noted that basically, some portion of food waste is still edible. However, it will be truly wasted if we do not optimize it," Bapanas' Director of Food and Nutrition Awareness Nita Yulianis noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Yulianis explained that the government, through Bapanas, is promoting the implementation of the movement by collaborating with various partners, such as business associations and non-profit organizations, to take collective efforts, with the goal of reducing the amount of food waste in the country.
The efforts include the distribution of food donations to those in need, she remarked.
"All parties, including the central government, regional governments, and the society, are responsible for the fulfillment of the nation's need for food," Yulianis emphasized.
Furthermore, she highlighted that the government had been implementing the movement for five years, thereby resulting in a decrease in the amount of food waste in the country.
Pertaining to food donation activities, she remarked that all people and food producers that have excessive food reserves can participate by directly distributing them to underprivileged communities.
Yulianis pointed out that some people's extreme consumptive behavior is responsible for the amount of food wasted, adding that the public should buy and take only moderate amounts of food, so none will end up in trash cans.
"We need to work in collaboration and synergy. Business actors, the public, and the media should take the pentahelix approach by supporting and implementing the movement," she remarked.
Related news: Indonesia highlights food waste strategy at UN summit
Related news: Reduce food waste during Ramadan, ministry urges people
Translator: Vinny Shoffa, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
