Local Buzz: How to donate food in HK

Just say no to food waste! (photo credit: Quotesearcher)

As we've mentioned before, despite the fact that Hong Kong is considered to have a high level of food security (note: the new DuPoint Global Food Security Index ranks China, including Hong Kong, as the 39th most food secure country in the world. 105 countries are ranked), roughly 1 in 5 people in Hong Kong live below the poverty line. In addition, 1 in 4 children do not receive 3 meals a day; 1 in 3 seniors live in poverty; and 100,000 people live in cage homes, cubicles, or on rooftops. We're becoming increasingly aware that some of us have two much food -- so much, in fact, that a great deal of it goes to waste. However, there are organizations doing the much needed work of getting viable food, food that might otherwise be wasted, to those in Hong Kong who need it most. Are you interested in donating, volunteering, or otherwise contributing to these organizations? Here is an incomplete list:

Local Buzz: AmCham's "Moving Hong Kong's Growing Mountains of Food Waste" Seminar

Last week, we were lucky enough to attend the American Chamber of Commerce's seminar on food waste, titled "Moving Hong Kong's Growing Mountains of Food Waste".  Speakers Anne Gillman (associate at Hamilton Advisors), Gabrielle Kirstein (Executive Director of Feeding Hong Kong), and Bobsy Gaia (sustainable lifestyle advocate and owner of Mana! Fast Slow Food and Life Cafe) each commented on the state of Hong Kong's food waste problem, and the actions being taken, on a variety of fronts, to address this very serious issue.

Local Buzz: HK Food Waste and Responsible Consumption

A recent wave of articles has revealed just how wasteful Hong Kongers are when it comes to food.  “The Food Chain,” in an April edition of HK Magazine, brought the appalling food waste levels in our city to public attention, and highlighted various local efforts to reverse this trend.  And just last week, Friends of the Earth (HK) did an exposé of the magnitude of the food waste generated by major HK supermarkets.  The FoE (HK) article revealed that the weight of the food supermarket chains throw away in a year is equivalent to 2,000 double-decker buses; and much of what is tossed out is undeniably edible food—food that has not expired and could have gone to those in need.

As a city, we pride ourselves on our vibrant dining industry—its diverse selection of cuisines, high standards of quality, and constant stream of new offerings.  But it’s clear that when it comes to the issue of food waste, we have nothing to brag about.