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Sri Lanka to halve urban food waste by 2030

31 Aug 2021

  • 693 tonnes per day currently; half from Colombo
BY Pamodi Waravita Following the launch of Sri Lanka’s roadmap to reduce urban food waste in mid-August, Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe told The Morning yesterday (31) that the ultimate aim of the roadmap is to halve the amount of urban food waste by 2030. “The roadmap was launched earlier this month, based on a study conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO). In order to reduce urban food waste, we must first begin with major hotel chains, caterers, small hotels, and then finally, domestic households. The goal is to reduce food wastage in urban areas by about 50% by 2030,” said Dr. Jasinghe. The roadmap was launched at the Environment Ministry on 17 August, with the participation of representatives from the UNFAO and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). “This programme is focused not only on the management of the consequences of food waste, but also on its minimisation. Food waste minimisation helps in resource conservation and reduces the impact of climate change by reducing the amount of methane gas which is released into the atmosphere as a result of food waste piling up in dumpsites,” Dr. Jasinghe had said at the launch. According to the Environment Ministry’s Media Unit, around 693 tonnes of food waste is generated every day in the country, of which over half (353 tonnes) is from the Colombo Municipality area. 


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