Reducing Food Waste
In the OIC Member Countries
COMCEC
The economic saving is equivalent to US$131 million, with 40% of the reduction recorded in
households, staff and student dining halls.
3 .4.1. F o o d b a n k s
The role of food banks in the OIC Member Countries is significant, with many examples identified
throughout all regions. Food banks are a response to high rates of poverty and hunger, food
scarcity, food waste and the availability of food still fit-for-purpose but not consumed or
purchased.
One of the first and most recognized food bank initiatives operates in Egypt, which aims to
reduce food waste from hotels and restaurants by donating unused, safe, nutritious food to the
needy3, through its ‘Not to Waste Food’ program. The Egyptian Food Bank works in partnership
with the Egyptian Hotel Association, who encourage the support and participation of more than
400 hotels and restaurants, ranging from five star hotels to local coffee shops. The program,
initiated in 2005, donates more than 17 million meals each month. The success of the program
has been attributed to its awareness programs for individuals, hotels and restaurants to reduce
food waste. The campaign has expanded to households, encouraging the distribution of surplus,
untouched food to the needy (Elmenofi, 2015, FBRN, 2014).
Following the success of the Egyptian Food Bank program, the UN Private Sector Forum
committed, in 2010, to assist organisations in other countries to implement and adopt the
Egyptian food bank model and programs in other countries. In 2012, the FAO promoted the
cascading of this model and further recommended the promotion and exchange of knowledge,
co-ordination and dissemination of good practice, adoption and support of success stories. In
response to this the Arab Food Bank Regional Network (FBRN) was established in 2013 to
replicate this model in the food service sector. Its aims are to eliminate regional hunger through
establishing, developing and supporting food banks in the region in co-operation with a broad
spectrum of partners, sponsors and members with a vision of a ‘Region free from hunger by
2020’. The FBRN works at the regional and international level to unite and co-ordinate food
and nutrition relief efforts. Their network of members includes the Saudi Food Bank Al khobar
and Riyadh branches, Iraqi Food Bank, Tunisian Food Bank, Lebanese Food Bank, Jordanian
Food Bank and Mauritanian Food Bank (FBRN, 2014).
3Approximately 16 million people live below the poverty line in Egypt (Elmenofi et al., 2015).
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