MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has painted an alarming picture of household plate waste, with rice, vegetables, and meat as the primary culprits of food wasting in the country.
The statement released by the DOST on Thursday urged for a unified effort from the private and public sectors to solve the problem.
According to the study, 39% of Filipino families had rice waste, 11% had vegetable waste, and 8% had meat waste.
The DOST said the Philippines had 930 million tons of food waste in 2019 alone.
Doctor Imelda Angeles‑Agdeppa, the study’s lead researcher, warned Filipinos that while tons of food is being wasted, millions of Filipinos are going hungry.
“Millions of Filipinos under poverty and experiencing food insecurity are struggling to be fed, and the food that is simply thrown away or discarded might actually be enough to feed them,” she said in the statement.
The Global Hunger Index ranked the Philippines 69 of 119 countries in hunger indigence; this means that there is a severe level of hunger in the country, DOST added.
Food waste also entails more greenhouse gasses which impacts global warming, Agdeppa also warned.
While public and private sectors need to address global food shortage and food waste, researchers suggest that the nation needs to train people regarding meal portions and meal size reduction and formulate more policies tackling waste-reduction programs, DOST said. — MJ Soriano, INQUIRER.net trainee