Article: Rice and the Climate Crisis 4/4: The significance of reducing food waste as climate change hits rice productionAdapted for academic purposes from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rice-and-climate-crisis-significance-reducing-food-waste-climate-change-hits-rice-production-2572866SINGAPORE: Food wastage has been in the crosshairs over the past few years, amid Singapore’s broader ambitions to become zero-waste.And it's an issue that will become more salient as climate change continues to hit global food production.9In 2021, Singapore generated 817,000 tonnes of food waste, a jump from the 665,000 tonnes in 2020, according to data released by the National Environment Agency this week.Despite years of campaigns, more public education is still needed, said Professor Paul Teng, Adjunct Senior Fellow (Food Security) in the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.“The proposed saving techniques are already well known and rolled out – buy and cook only what you need, reduce helping size, and so on. But the mindset changes are still not widespread.”"FINISH THE INGREDIENTS, LEAVE THE RICE ALONE"David Chen, the co-founder of Golden Sunland, a local rice company, agreed that “the mindset is not there yet”, particularly for rice.“A lot of times, our communication about food waste is tied to the value of the food. It’s very tough for rice because rice is cheap, in terms of dollars and cents.”“You still hear (your elders) telling you to finish the ingredients, leave the rice alone. It’s passed along.”He added that consumers are “detached” from where the rice came from and who grew it, but a connection can be formed by letting them experience growing it themselves.“When consumers are educated … they would know that the plate of rice is not just the $1 they paid, but also a summation of water and carbon emissions.”It is why the company currently holds rice-growing programmes at four schools – with the hope of expanding these further.“You’d want to develop and ingrain the mindset in the next generation, and since school is where they spend most of their days, it seems the most logical place to start these conversations.”“The interesting thing is it doesn’t have to be successful to have an impact … and to give them a real-life lesson on experiences that your food producers go through on a daily basis while they provide for us," said Mr Chen. Question:The future trends affecting rice supplies are not controllable factors. This hasimplications for a net food importing country like Singapore.The article above in the reading list touches on food wastage. How does food wastageimpact the supply chain management of rice?What do you think are the reason(s) for Mr David Chan, co-founder of Golden Sunland,to run educational programmes in schools? After all, he is in the business of selling rice.
Article: Rice and the Climate Crisis 4/4: The significance of reducing food waste as climate change hits rice production
Adapted for academic purposes from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/rice-and-climate-crisis-significance-reducing-food-waste-climate-change-hits-rice-production-2572866
SINGAPORE: Food wastage has been in the crosshairs over the past few years, amid Singapore’s broader ambitions to become zero-waste.
And it's an issue that will become more salient as climate change continues to hit global food production.
9
In 2021, Singapore generated 817,000 tonnes of food waste, a jump from the 665,000 tonnes in 2020, according to data released by the National Environment Agency this week.
Despite years of campaigns, more public education is still needed, said Professor Paul Teng, Adjunct Senior Fellow (Food Security) in the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
“The proposed saving techniques are already well known and rolled out – buy and cook only what you need, reduce helping size, and so on. But the mindset changes are still not widespread.”
"FINISH THE INGREDIENTS, LEAVE THE RICE ALONE"
David Chen, the co-founder of Golden Sunland, a local rice company, agreed that “the mindset is not there yet”, particularly for rice.
“A lot of times, our communication about food waste is tied to the value of the food. It’s very tough for rice because rice is cheap, in terms of dollars and cents.”
“You still hear (your elders) telling you to finish the ingredients, leave the rice alone. It’s passed along.”
He added that consumers are “detached” from where the rice came from and who grew it, but a connection can be formed by letting them experience growing it themselves.
“When consumers are educated … they would know that the plate of rice is not just the $1 they paid, but also a summation of water and carbon emissions.”
It is why the company currently holds rice-growing programmes at four schools – with the hope of expanding these further.
“You’d want to develop and ingrain the mindset in the next generation, and since school is where they spend most of their days, it seems the most logical place to start these conversations.”
“The interesting thing is it doesn’t have to be successful to have an impact … and to give them a real-life lesson on experiences that your food producers go through on a daily basis while they provide for us," said Mr Chen.
Question:The future trends affecting rice supplies are not controllable factors. This has
implications for a net food importing country like Singapore.
The article above in the reading list touches on food wastage. How does food wastage
impact the supply chain management of rice?
What do you think are the reason(s) for Mr David Chan, co-founder of Golden Sunland,
to run educational programmes in schools? After all, he is in the business of selling rice.
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