Senate inquiry into alarming food waste in PH sought

Sen. Nancy Binay Senate PRIB file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay is urging the upper chamber to investigate the alarming volume of thrown-out food in the Philippines.

Binay recently lodged Senate Resolution No. 555, calling for a panel inquiry into the country’s rising food waste.

“Congress, in consultation with relevant agencies, must determine the policy needed to address food wastes in the country, considering that many Filipinos are experiencing hunger,” the resolution reads.

Citing data from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Binay said some 930 million tons of food went into the waste bins in 2019.

She further noted that the Filipino household’s average plate waste – edible portions of food which are left on the dining table or plates after a household has finished eating – is 76 grams or around five tablespoons of food in a day, according to the 2018-2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey.

In March, DOST called on the private and public sectors to work together to solve the country’s food scrap problem.

It showed that rice, vegetables, and meat were the most commonly wasted food items in Filipino households.

In a recent study led by Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, alarming levels of food waste in the Philippines were revealed amid the ongoing struggle of millions of hungry families.

READ: SWS: Filipinos experiencing involuntary hunger slightly increases

The department has also cautioned the public about the impact of food waste on global warming, noting that plate waste emits a portion of global greenhouse gas emissions.

READ: DOST: Rice, veggies and meat top waste list; urges public-private action

The Philippines ranked 69th of 121 countries in hunger, according to the 2022 Global Hunger Index (GHI).

With a score of 14.8, GHI said hunger in the Philippines was deemed moderate.

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