3,000 Tons Of Food Wasted Every Day In Malaysia
A study from the Solid Waste And Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) shows that Malaysians throw away 3,000 tons worth of food items every day. This food is considered to be in good condition and can be safely eaten, yet still goes to waste.
According to Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail this amount would be enough to feed two million people in the country.
To combat the problem, the government has set up the Malaysia Food Bank programme which will begin operations in January. The programme will oversee the management and distribution of excess food to prevent it from being wasted.
As such, retailers like Tesco, Aeon, Aeon Big, Mydin GCH Retail, TH Valuemart, 99 Speedmart, and Ecosave have agreed to participate. The Kechara Food Bank, Food Aid Foundation, and Mutiara Food Bank will also be contributing to the effort.
A pilot project for the food bank is already running in Malacca, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor. Having distributed 835,000kg worth of food since August.
