Essay Draft 3 - How can Food Wastage be Reduced in Singapore?

Research Question: How can food wastage be reduced in Singapore?

In Goldin's TED talk (2002), he discusses about the "collapse in biodiversity, climate change" and other related issues as a result of rapid globalisation. Indeed, excessive food consumption in rich countries has resulted in food wastage. The excessive killing of animals for human consumption has contributed to the collapse in biodiversity. The carbon footprint from the food wasted also occupies almost 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land area, indirectly leading to global warming (Kirby, 2013). 

In the case of Singapore, rapid globalisation has opened up the country to a door of opportunities, propelling it towards economic success. As a result, Singapore has become one of the richest countries in the world. However, beneath this beautiful exterior lies the dark world of food wastage. In 2013, Singapore set a record high of 703,200 tonnes of food wastage generated. This is a steep 26 percent increase from that in 2007 (Eco-Business, 2013).

Why is that so?

First and foremost, there is a lack of awareness towards food wastage among Singaporeans. Many Singaporeans take more than what they can actually eat, which 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 ends up in the garbage. The amount of wastage may seem insignificant if only one restaurant is concerned, but if that is multiplied by a thousand, the picture becomes clear. 

This problem has been tackled by a group of NTU undergraduates, who came up with an anti food-waste campaign in 2013. Their campaign, titled "Makan Mantra", aimed to raise awareness on the topic of food wastage and encourage diners to be responsible when they eat and order food (Munirah, 2013). Other than disseminating eye-catching campaign posters, the "Pic-A-Mantra!" photo contest was also held to encourage people to share their food-saving habits. In addition, Makan Day 2013 was held in celebration of food waste reduction (Makan Mantra, 2013).

One of the campaign posters by Makan Mantra. Image by Makan Mantra

Makan Day 2013. Image by Makan Mantra

This campaign has been successful, receiving massive support from the media and public. Makan Day 2013 received a turnout of almost 180 supporters, and Makan Mantra was featured on online magazines like "Poached Mag" (Chan, 2013) and "BBC GoodFood Magazine". The campaign creators were also invited to promote their campaign through radio programmes. 

Makan Mantra being featured in BBC GoodFood Magazine. Image by BBC GoodFood Magazine

With its successful social media engagement and offline marketing, Makan Mantra has succeeded in raising the awareness on food wastage among Singaporeans, possibly empowering them to take action on managing and reducing food wastage as well.

The next reason for food wastage in Singapore is the pre-consumer kitchen waste from restaurant businesses. This includes incorrectly prepared food, overproduction, spoiled food and so on (EndFoodWasteNow, n.d.). Many restaurants have tackled the problem of overproduction by allowing employees to take home the leftovers of the day. However, despite collecting the food, there are often extras that are still disposed of ultimately. 

There are more solutions for reducing this pre-consumer kitchen of food waste. For instance, restaurants can convert the food waste into garden food (home-made fertilisers), donate to a food bank, and re-estimate the amount of food required for the day. With collective efforts, these seemingly modest solutions can make a huge difference.

These solutions would turn out successful if most, if not all food businesses in Singapore implement the system. However, restaurants might not want to implement the system due to financial and manpower limitations. Therefore, government incentives or aid might be helpful in encouraging these businesses to engage in the above anti food-wastage schemes.

In conclusion, food wastage is still a pressing issue in Singapore that ought to be addressed as soon as possible. The journey towards eliminating food wastage requires not only awareness, but concrete action as well. If a quarter of the amount of food typically disposed of were instead redistributed to the needy in Singapore, many would be lifted out of hunger. 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?

(697 words)

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

Eco-Business. (2013). Amount of food waste in Singapore hits record high. Eco-Business. Retrieved March 24, 2014, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/amount-food-waste-singapore-hits-record-high/