Thousands run to raise awareness on food loss and food waste

Save Food Marathon: Thousands run to raise awareness on food loss and food waste

10/5/2015, Bangkok, Thailand – More than 4,000 dedicated runners have braved the summer heat in Bangkok to promote greater awareness of food loss and food waste in the “Run for Save Food” event organized by the National Jogging Association of Thailand and supported by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The event aimed to raise awareness about the enormous amounts of food that are lost or wasted each year and actions that all of us can take to reduce the waste.

The Run for Save Food main event, a pre-dawn 30k marathon, began at 4:30 am in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, on Rachadamnoen Nok Avenue, and took runners on a return trip across the Rama 8 bridge. Two shorter runs followed – 15k and 5k – and a ‘fun run’ of 1.5k attracted families and students. A total of 80 trophies were awarded to runners.

“The impressive turn out for today’s runs proves that healthy people have a healthy respect for food, and share our concerns about the enormous amounts of post-harvest food lost along the value chain or wasted at retail and consumer level,” said Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative. “Each of us can do more to save food by thinking before we purchase or order food to eat and by thinking more carefully before throwing food away.”

“With so many people in the world suffering from hunger, and so many of them right here in our Asia-Pacific region, food loss and food waste is simply unacceptable. The support shown by runners today is an indication that people are willing to make changes to save food and reduce waste,” said Rosa Rolle, FAO’s senior officer coordinating the Save Food Campaign in the region.

Thailand will soon become the first ASEAN country to formally launch an awareness raising campaign to reduce food loss and waste. Later this month, on 25th May, the Save Food Campaign will be launched at Central World, starting at 11:45 am.

The launch will be supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and partners of the Save Food Network. Highlights will include a mini concert by Thanakrit Panichwid (Wan), a celebrity talk Chanokwanan (wan) and some save-food cooking tips from celebrity Chef Bun Borriboon (Ik). The general public is encouraged to join the event.

ENDS

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