Food waste should not be a problem for people in some part of Indonesia. Left over breads can be processed into bagelen, sweet crispy bread.  Rice from yesterday turned into intip, . crunchy rice. Gudeg, Javanese cuisine, will be more delicious if left for a few days. 

Food Waste is the focus of this year’s World Environment Day celebrations. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that a third of global food production is either wasted or lost. Food waste is an enormous drain on natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts.

To understand the issue better, The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI)  teamed up with Omar Niode Foundation,  Mongabay Indonesia and the SAE Institute Jakarta  for a film screening and discussion on World Environment Day led by Rinto Navis, a TV presenter and producer at ANTARA, Indonesia’s national news agency.

The film, Taste the Waste, is a documentary about global food waste directed by Valentin Thurn the co-founder of the International Federation of Environmental Journalists. Thurn has researched the extent of food waste on an international scale in the waste bins at wholesale markets, warehouses and supermarkets. He documented overwhelming quantities of perfectly edible food, some still in the original packaging, frequently enough still displaying a valid ‘best before’ date.

Thurn also acknowledged dedicated people who are trying to put a stop to this incredible waste: so-called ‘dumpster divers’ who rescue food from supermarket dumpster, supermarket managers who convince their clientele to buy products that are less harmful to the climate, consumer associations that bring farmers directly together with customers, and many others.

The film, screened in SAE Institute’s world class facility, provoked the audience to share what they know about preserving left over food and learned about practical tips to avoid food waste.

Arif Goma a food scientist who blogs for Dunia Fitnes advised the audience to consider smart shopping and to wisely plan for healthy menu before buying ingredients.

Swandani Kumarga from Dapur Solo  Restaurant and Catering Service said her restaurant management style avoided food waste in that the meat supply should not exceed one month in the freezer. In some cases where there are left over foods Swandani offered them to her employees with a discounted price.

Yayasan Baitul Quran, a non profit organization managing an orphanage of 200 students reduces the amount of food prepared when they know in advance that some families will be celebrating birthdays in the orphanage. The organization also welcomes cooked food in good condition from wedding parties.

To prevent food waste Husna Zahir, chair of Indonesian Consumers Association suggested checking our refrigerators often as well as the cupboard where we store processed food.

Questions and comments raised indicated the audience’s interest on the issue. Some would like to see the film shown in schools, communities and associations such as the PHRI, the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association 

Valentin Thurn's email for the viewers read: “I am happy that my film is being screened in Jakarta, because food waste and food losses are a global problem. With every food item we throw away we also destroy the water needed to produce it, the soil, energy, capital and manpower, uselessly. Food is the base of our life we should respect and value it.”

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Images: Taste the Waste, UNEP, Omar Niode Foundation