"Think.Eat.Save" campaign launched in Bangkok to help raise awareness about food waste

Some recognized chefs from Thailand and Australia Thursday served public here a free and delicious hot lunch made from rescued ingredients that would have ended up in the landfill to promote awareness on food waste.

The "Think.Eat.Save" event is organized by the United States Environment Program (UNEP) and OzHarvest in support of the UN Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) which aims to halve global food waste and reduce food losses along the production and supply chains by 2030.

Those exciting and delicious "rescued" menu in the event highlighted the creativity of the Thai cuisine. For example, several chefs of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok served more than 400 "repurposed " beef burgers made from saved beef trimmings with a som tum relish.

"UNEP is tackling food waste head-on with its Think.Eat.Save methodology for waste prevention at city, country and company level. We are delighted to be working with OzHarvest to underline the importance of reducing food loss and waste in fighting both hunger and the impacts of climate change," said Kaveh Zahedi, UNEP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific.

The event is part of the Think.Eat.Save campaign which was launched by the UNEP, the Food and Agricultural Organization and partners in 2013 to change the culture of food waste which results in 1.3 billion tons of food wasted globally each year, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

An estimated 20 to 40 percent of food was lost or wasted along the supply chain in Asia Pacific, Kaveh said, adding food was lost in transport process between rural production areas and urban consumers due to poor quality roads, weather conditions, and poor packaging.

"So, both UN and governments, from market owners, food producer to consumers, everyone should take real actions to realize the target, to reduce food losses," Kaveh said. Endit