|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
FSSAI unveils Save Food, Share Food, Share Joy initiative at Tasting India
|
|
Friday, 15 December, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Our Bureau, New Delhi
|
At the Tasting India: Farm to Table Symposium, held at New Delhi’s Roseate Hotel recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced the Save Food, Share Food, Share Joy initiative to promote food sharing among citizens and food businesses of the country. It also targeted a coalition of food collection partners in country to fight the issue of hunger and also prevent food loss and food wastage in India.
Under this initiative, a Web-based platform called Indian Food Sharing Alliance (IFSA) created a network of food collection agencies and brought together citizens, food businesses, corporates, civil society organisations, volunteers and government and local bodies in a coordinated manner to prevent food being lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial production down to final household consumption.
FSSAI also unveiled two key campaigns, i e Street food vendors have a heart and I too have a heart. The former was about engaging with street food vendors to encourage them to donate every 10th meal to the needy. This will, in turn, act as a kick-off for the latter, which focuses around regular food donation by food businesses and the citizens. These campaigns will be managed through IFSA.
The Web-based platform will identify the street food vendors and do the mapping of recovery agencies. It will also include volunteer registration and identify hunger spots to cater to a larger mass of beneficiaries. The campaign will be launched in New Delhi during the National Street Food Festival, which will take place in January 2018.
IFSA will allow donors to track all the data, information and the status of the food being donated through their personal logins. Also, volunteers from across cities will be able to register on this platform to be a part of this initiative. This platform will also provide guidance to citizens, food businesses and various food recovery agencies on prevention of food loss and food waste and safe recovery of surplus food.
In India, there are multiple food collection agencies working in various cities on their own. These include No Food Waste, Feeding India, Indian Food Banking Network, Roti Bank, Annakshetra, Giveaway India, Mera Parivaar, Robin Hood Army. Together, 12 such organisations feed on an average over a lakh people per day in over 70 cities. An alliance of these food sharing models and the implementation of a uniform operation plan will ensure pan-India coverage.
During the programme, partner food collection agencies showcased their respective case studies. Also, during a group discussion titled Turning food sharing into a national movement.
Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, highlighted that food waste and food loss were recognised as global challenges. Also there was significant food loss and food waste in the country.
He addressed the need of an integrated approach of food recovery networks across India to combat food waste issues.
Agarwal said, “This initiative is an effort to promote food sharing and recover surplus food in India. Through this initiative, several food collection agencies will be able to work uniformly towards one common goal of saving food and distributing it to the needy, so that India is able to eradicate hunger problems.”
Through creating a network of networks from entities across sectors in India and leveraging the power of technology, FSSAI aims to create an ease of communication among all the stakeholders, so that everybody can take a step closer towards reducing food wastage in a uniform direction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|