NGOs launch effort to prevent food waste at Universiade
Taipei Universiade village, CNA file photo
Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Non-governmental organizations in Taiwan have kicked off a campaign to make use of surplus food at the upcoming Universiade in Taipei, drawing on the example of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The campaign titled "Save Food, Save Life for You, for Youth," calls on the Taipei City government to work with NGOs to prevent food waste during the Universiade, which will be held Aug. 19-30 in Taipei.
The NGOs said the campaign is similar to the "Save Food for the Poor" initiative that was launched in Brazil in 2016 during the Rio Olympics, when surplus food in the athletes' village was used to provide 5,000 meals for the poor in Rio de Janeiro.
"We would recommend that the Taipei City government allow us to enter the athletes' village to help check and record how raw food and food ingredients are being used," said Shen Pao-li (沈寶莉), an executive at Homemakers United Foundation, who was one the NGO leaders involved in launching the campaign.
She said the Universiade organizers can adjust the supply of meals each day based on the amount of surplus food the previous day and can set a carbon emissions target for caterers.
Another way to prevent waste of fresh food is to give it to members of the public to take it home, Shen said.
Besides Homemakers United Foundation, the other NGO's involved in the food surplus campaign are Da'an Good Life, Homemakers Union Consumers Co-op, Homeless Taiwan and Wistaria Tea House.
Some 400 workers have been recruited by the organizers of the Universiade to prepare between 35,000 and 40,000 meals each day for the 10,000 participating athletes from 170 countries, according to the NGOs.
(By Liang Pei-chi and S.C. Chang)
Enditem/pc
