Every time we throw away leftover rice or expired vegetables, we waste food, money, resources, and potential income. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) recently renewed its call for Malaysia to set up a Food Waste Act.
This request comes at a crucial time.
According to the Star, CAP reports that Malaysians waste about 17,000 tonnes of food every day, including 3,000 tonnes that is still perfectly edible. This waste could feed thousands or be turned into new economic value.
We need to stop viewing food waste as just an environmental or charity issue. It is a systemic economic leak that quietly drains the nation’s productivity, increases inequality, and puts a strain on public resources. To address food waste is not only about feeding the poor, but also about protecting everyone’s financial well-being and national food security. It presents an economic problem, too. From the energy used on farms and in factories to the diesel that powers delivery trucks, every wasted item represents lost money throughout the entire supply chain, and ultimately, lost money for us consumers.
CAP suggests that Malaysia follow the example of countries like France, which has made it illegal for supermarkets to throw away unsold edible food. However, we could do even more.
The underlying question are we need to reflect on are :
- What if we offered incentives to food and beverage (F&B) outlets for composting?
- What if we provided tax rebates for large donations?
- How can we support techology startups to measure and redistribute food before it becomes waste?
CAP also encourages Malaysians to grow their own food.
This can help buffer against inflation, imports, and waste. We need to improve on household self-grown vegetables so it could potentially lower our grocery bills and cut down on food waste right from the start by starting from a small balcony garden can contribute to the solution.
Lim Jiaxin (j21035423@student.newinti.edu.my) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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