Head of the National Food Agency (BPN) Arief Prasetyo has lauded a collaboration between retail and food players to make Sarinah Mall the first mall in Indonesia to implement the food waste-free movement.
In addition to reducing food waste, the movement could support efforts to bolster national food security, he said here on Monday.
According to the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) 23–48 million tons of food was wasted in Indonesia in 2021, he noted.
This led to economic losses of Rp213 trillion to Rp551 trillion (US$14.4 million to USS$37.3 million), or equivalent to almost five percent of the value of the gross domestic product (GDP). It was estimated that the amount could have fed about 61 million to 125 million people.
Hence, the BPN head stated, the movement must also be implemented in other regions so that people can avoid wasting food and give it to people in need instead.
“I hope that more shopping and retail centers in Indonesia will adopt the movement carried out by Sarinah Mall in the future,” he said.
Furthermore, he said he expected that similar movements will also be implemented at the household level.
The BPN signed a memorandum of understanding here on Monday with the Association of Retailers and Tenants of Indonesian Shopping Centers (Hippindo), Sarinah Mall, and private startup Surplus Indonesia to implement the food waste-free movement.
On the same occasion, president director of Sarinah Mall, Fetty Kwartati, said that the Sarinah Food Waste-Free movement was in line with the mall’s mission to support the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
She informed that currently, there are about 40 food and beverage sellers as well as 45 culinary micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at the shopping center who are participating in the movement.
She said she expected that in the future, more business players will join the movement.
Meanwhile, director of Surplus Indonesia, Agung Saputra, said that his company will help sell or redistribute excessive food that is still edible from merchant outlets at Sarinah Mall at a cheaper price. Furthermore, if the food is still not sold, it will be disbursed to people in need.
Source: Antara News