Legarda pushes for immediate enactment of Zero Food Waste Act

Following the Philippine Rice Research Institute’s (PhilRice) recent report on the alarming Php 7.2 billion worth of rice wasted in the Philippines, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda reiterated the importance and urgency of passing Senate Bill 240 or the Zero Food Waste Act of 2022 which she filed last year.

“Our country is rich in food resources, yet millions of Filipinos cannot afford three meals daily. The excess edible food supply must be highlighted and utilized to feed the millions of hungry Filipinos,” Legarda stated.

She emphasized that the Zero Food Waste Act of 2022 is a timely response to the country’s pressing issue of food waste. The measure aims to implement a system that will encourage food waste reduction in the Philippines through recycling and redistribution.

In doing so, the proposed legislation will mandate a specific government agency to launch the National Zero Food Waste Campaign, raise awareness on this issue, and develop a Food-related Business Waste Reduction Strategy and a Household and Local Government Unit Waste Reduction Strategy.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that a shortage of 80,000 metric tons of rice from July to September is expected. Legarda firmly believes that with the food recovery and redistribution network that will be established once the bill is passed, this concern about rice production can also be addressed.

“The Zero Food Waste Act of 2022 is not just about reducing food waste; it is also about promoting sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of food waste. When food is wasted, we not only lose the resources and energy that went into producing it, but we also contribute to producing methane gas that contributes to climate change,” Legarda explained.

“The issue of food waste will continue to be a problem unless we act on it now,” she stressed. (end)