Research Question: How can food wastage be reduced in Singapore?
Introduction
In Goldin's TED talk, he discusses about the "collapse in biodiversity, climate change" due to rapid globalisation. Food wastage is tightly linked to these factors as excessive consumption in rich countries results in the excessive killing of wildlife. Further more, it indirectly contributes to the production of greenhouse gases and therefore global warming. In the case of Singapore, rapid globalisation has opened up the country to a door of opportunities, propelling it towards economic success and becoming one of the richest countries in the world. However, beneath this beautiful exterior lies the dark world of food wastage.
Background
Briefly state the problem and solutions: Despite the introduction of various anti food-waste campaigns, efforts have largely been unsuccessful. This is evident from statistics in 2013, where Singapore set a record high of 703,200 tonnes of food wastage generated (The Straits Times, 2013) - a steep 26% increase from that in 2007. From factories to the dining table, food is being wasted excessively.
Why is that so?
Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: First and foremost, many Singaporeans take more than what they can actually eat.
Problem: This is especially evident in buffet restaurants; many customers, eager to prove their money worthwhile, take several plates of food but end up not eating them. Many Singaporeans also order set meals from restaurants in order to "save money", but end up not finishing them. Needless to say, all the uneaten food end up in the garbage. The amount of wastage may seem insignificant if only one restaurant is concerned, but multiply that by a thousand, and the picture becomes clear.
Existing solution 1: In response to this problem, a group of NTU undergraduates launched an anti food-waste campaign, Makan Mantra, on 1 February 2013. This campaign aimed to raise public awareness regarding food wastage and get them to take concrete action in alleviating this problem. As part of the campaign, eye-catching campaign posters were disseminated via both offline and online platforms, and the "Pic-A-Mantra!" photo contest was held to encourage people to share their food-saving habits. Makan Day 2013 was also held in celebration of food waste reduction (Makan Mantra, 2013).
Evaluation: This campaign seems to have been successful given the massive support it has received following its launch. It has been featured on online magazines like "Poached Mag" and "BBC GoodFood Magazine", invited to promote their campaign through radio programmes. With constant exposure to anti food-wastage campaigns, this may encourage Singaporeans to be more responsible whenever they consume food.
Concluding sentence: Therefore, Makan Mantra has done a good job in raising the awareness of food wastage among Singaporeans, with it successful social media engagement and offline marketing.
Body Paragraph 2
Problem 2: The last reason for food wastage in Singapore is the pre-consumer kitchen waste from restaurant businesses. This include incorrectly prepared food, overproduction, spoiled food and so on (EndFoodWasteNow, n.d.).
Existing solution: Many restaurants have tackled the problem of overproduction by allowing employees to take home the leftovers of the day.
Evaluation: However, even after the food is collected, there are still often extras left, which are still disposed of ultimately.
Improvement on the existing solution: There are more solutions for reducing this pre-consumer kitchen of food waste, like converting the food waste into garden food (home-made fertilisers), donating to a food bank, and re-estimating the amount of food required for the day. With collective efforts, these seemingly modest solutions can make a huge difference. That being said, manpower and finances are required for the implementation of the programme. Therefore, certain incentives or aid from the government would be helpful in encouraging the restaurant businesses to engage in the above activities.
Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: First and foremost, many Singaporeans take more than what they can actually eat.
Problem: This is especially evident in buffet restaurants; many customers, eager to prove their money worthwhile, take several plates of food but end up not eating them. Many Singaporeans also order set meals from restaurants in order to "save money", but end up not finishing them. Needless to say, all the uneaten food end up in the garbage. The amount of wastage may seem insignificant if only one restaurant is concerned, but multiply that by a thousand, and the picture becomes clear.
Existing solution 1: In response to this problem, a group of NTU undergraduates launched an anti food-waste campaign, Makan Mantra, on 1 February 2013. This campaign aimed to raise public awareness regarding food wastage and get them to take concrete action in alleviating this problem. As part of the campaign, eye-catching campaign posters were disseminated via both offline and online platforms, and the "Pic-A-Mantra!" photo contest was held to encourage people to share their food-saving habits. Makan Day 2013 was also held in celebration of food waste reduction (Makan Mantra, 2013).
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| One of the campaign posters by Makan Mantra. Image by Makan Mantra |
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| Makan Day 2013. Image by Makan Mantra |
Evaluation: This campaign seems to have been successful given the massive support it has received following its launch. It has been featured on online magazines like "Poached Mag" and "BBC GoodFood Magazine", invited to promote their campaign through radio programmes. With constant exposure to anti food-wastage campaigns, this may encourage Singaporeans to be more responsible whenever they consume food.
Concluding sentence: Therefore, Makan Mantra has done a good job in raising the awareness of food wastage among Singaporeans, with it successful social media engagement and offline marketing.
Body Paragraph 2
Problem 2: The last reason for food wastage in Singapore is the pre-consumer kitchen waste from restaurant businesses. This include incorrectly prepared food, overproduction, spoiled food and so on (EndFoodWasteNow, n.d.).
Existing solution: Many restaurants have tackled the problem of overproduction by allowing employees to take home the leftovers of the day.
Evaluation: However, even after the food is collected, there are still often extras left, which are still disposed of ultimately.
Improvement on the existing solution: There are more solutions for reducing this pre-consumer kitchen of food waste, like converting the food waste into garden food (home-made fertilisers), donating to a food bank, and re-estimating the amount of food required for the day. With collective efforts, these seemingly modest solutions can make a huge difference. That being said, manpower and finances are required for the implementation of the programme. Therefore, certain incentives or aid from the government would be helpful in encouraging the restaurant businesses to engage in the above activities.
Concluding sentence: By implementing the above solutions, food wastage can be reduced to an even higher level.
Conclusion
Restate problem: In conclusion, food wastage is still a pressing issue in Singapore that ought to be addressed as soon as possible.
Restate solution: The journey towards eliminating food wastage requires not only knowledge, but concrete action from everybody. Education plays a crucial role in inculcating the right mindset among Singaporeans to not take the food they have for granted. The reduction in food wastage would reduce consumption and thus lower the demand and price for food. This would benefit the poor by having more affordable food. If a quarter of the amount of food typically disposed of is instead redistributed globally to the poor, a billion people would be lifted out of hunger (Wenzlau, S. W., 2013).
Call to action: If we work together to make the necessary changes to every link of the food chain, we can definitely make a difference. Are you willing to be part of this difference?
Conclusion
Restate problem: In conclusion, food wastage is still a pressing issue in Singapore that ought to be addressed as soon as possible.
Restate solution: The journey towards eliminating food wastage requires not only knowledge, but concrete action from everybody. Education plays a crucial role in inculcating the right mindset among Singaporeans to not take the food they have for granted. The reduction in food wastage would reduce consumption and thus lower the demand and price for food. This would benefit the poor by having more affordable food. If a quarter of the amount of food typically disposed of is instead redistributed globally to the poor, a billion people would be lifted out of hunger (Wenzlau, S. W., 2013).
References:
EndFoodWasteNow. (n.d.). Restaurants. EndFoodWasteNow. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://endfoodwastenow.org/index.php/issues/issues-restaurants
FAO. (2013). Food Wastage Footprint Impacts on Natural Resources Summary Report. FAO. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3347e/i3347e.pdf
Makan Mantra. (2013). Singapore's first food waste management campaign in partnership with F&B operations. Eco-Business.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/singapores-first-food-waste-management-campaign-in-partnership-with-fb-operations/
Marlis, T. (2013). 600 million kilos of food wastage yearly. Yahoo Entertainment Singapore. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/600-million-kilos-food-wastage-yearly-144714232.html
The Straits Times. (2013). Amount of food waste in Singapore hits record high. Eco-Business. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/amount-food-waste-singapore-hits-record-high/
FAO. (2013). Food Wastage Footprint Impacts on Natural Resources Summary Report. FAO. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3347e/i3347e.pdf
Marlis, T. (2013). 600 million kilos of food wastage yearly. Yahoo Entertainment Singapore. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/600-million-kilos-food-wastage-yearly-144714232.html
The Straits Times. (2013). Amount of food waste in Singapore hits record high. Eco-Business. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/amount-food-waste-singapore-hits-record-high/
Wenzlau, S. W. (2013). FAO Says Food Waste Harms Climate, Water, Land, and Biodiversity. Nourishing the Planet. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/fao-says-food-waste-harms-climate-water-land-and-biodiversity/
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