Solon reminds Filipinos to avoid food wastage during holiday season

AAMBIS-OWA party-list Representative Sharon Garin on Wednesday reminded Filipinos to be mindful of their food consumption and avoid wastage as they celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

Garin made the remark following the recent approval of House Bill 7956, or the proposed Food Surplus Reduction Act, which seeks the reduction of wastage by donating and recycling edible excess food.

In a statement, Garin stressed that since the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is still choking supply chains, putting the food and nutrition security of the country under threat, it is necessary for Filipinos to do their part in ensuring that no food goes to waste.

She also pointed out that food waste has much to do with global warming, accounting for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Around 690 million people around the world have continued to suffer from hunger and malnutrition in the last five years, Garin added, giving all the more reason not to waste food.

In filing House Bill 7956, Garin stressed the need to address the country's lack of system in addressing food waste. In fact, food items still end up in dumpsites instead of being repurposed as livestock feed which could help farmers.

Thus, her bill prescribes specific steps on edible food surplus distribution and the formulation of a food-related business surplus reduction strategy for the proper management of the redistribution and inspection of food still fit for human consumption.

The measure also requires local government units (LGUs) to enter into contract with waste management and recycling firms to recycle inedible food waste into fertilizer or compost, livestock feed, or sources of biofuel, and likewise facilitate the distribution of fertilizer or compost to farms and community gardening organizations.

A National Zero-Food Waste Campaign will also be created under the bill to encourage Filipinos to lessen food waste and raise public awareness on the impact of food surplus and on strategies to minimize food wastage at the household level.

The said campaign will be spearheaded by the National Nutrition Council in coordination with other concerned agencies and LGUs.

A P500,000 penalty is prescribed under the bill for any individual, private or public entity, who makes edible food surplus unfit for human consumption. —KG, GMA News