NSTDA helps manage excess food, supports establishment of Thai food banks

Dr. Pattamaporn Prajumrat, policy researcher at NSTDA and project leader for the establishment of a food bank in Thailand, said that NSTDA has collaborated with Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) Foundation and partner agencies from the public, private and civil society sectors to create a model for managing the country's food surplus. The company has received budget support from the Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization) or ARDA to push for the establishment of Thailand's Food Bank to help reduce food waste. NSTDA has applied the knowledge of various research teams to manage risks, take care of the process of sending excess food, and the issue of food safety. BIOTEC has a Food Biotechnology Research Team (IFBT) with expertise and knowledge in food safety, which can apply its expertise to test the safety of excess food. Dr. Nipa Choksajjawatee, Senior Researcher and Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), added that the application of science and technology to enhance management, taking care of the entire process from receiving food, storing food, transporting food, distributing food, practices for food handlers, such as freezing excess food and re-labeling, specifying recommended dates and durations, information on hazards and hazard control, such as chemicals, allergens, practices for food preparation, such as thawing frozen food, cooking, cooling, reheating, and maintaining food safety during transportation, etc. Dr. Nongnuch Poolsawat, Director of the Research Group, Institute for Technology and Information for Sustainable Development (TIIS), National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), said that MTEC, through the TIIS research team, has developed guidelines and environmental impact assessments of excess food to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, reducing food waste in the country, in line with the set goal of reducing food loss and food waste (Food Loss and Waste), which is in line with the 13th National Economic and Social Dev elopment Plan (2023-2027) according to Goal 10, Thailand has a circular economy and a low-carbon society, and the 20-year national strategic goals (2018-2037). Dr. Pattamaporn also said that NSTDA has driven the project to study the management of excess food or Food surplus. In the past, it has studied and reviewed related rules and regulations and held meetings to listen to opinions from relevant parties. It was found that the important data of excess food is that 1 in 3 of the food products produced will be discarded, which is a waste of resources used in production. It also releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the past, the project has tried to develop a method for donating excess food to be the same as other countries, including promoting various measures such as tax deduction measures, carbon measures to promote the donation of excess food to Food Banks, as in many countries. Both measures are considered guidelines for the establishment of Food Banks to actually occur and continue more sust ainably. 'Regarding carbon footprint and carbon credits, having carbon credits and donating excess food, the project would like to see images of food banks in Thailand selling carbon credits from reducing the amount of food waste, as has actually happened in Mexico, which would help transform food banks' operations from being charitable to selling carbon credits. In this regard, the audit costs that will occur must also be taken into account,' Dr. Pathamaporn concluded. Source: Thai News Agency