Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) reaffirms its dedication to food security through sustainable management of surplus food and reduction of food waste across its operations. Along with this mission, CP Foods is spearheading its involvement in the "Thailand's Food Bank" initiative. This collaboration involves the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the SOS Foundation, and private sector partners, to eradicate food waste to landfills.
This partnership aligns with Thailand's BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economic model, promoting public well-being through responsible food production and consumption practices. It also supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 2 "Zero Hunger" and SDG 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production."
Mr. Tawit Thanhakarnjanakul, Director of Logistics and Distribution Centers at CPF Global Food Solution Public Co., Ltd. (CPFGS), the leading global food solutions provider engaged in food products and services under CP Foods, emphasized the Company's mission to ensure food security. "Beyond upholding stringent food safety, quality, and accessibility standards, we recognize the critical importance of reducing food loss and waste across our entire supply chain," he stated.
CPFGS implements comprehensive measures to minimize food waste. This includes optimizing inventory planning to meet customer demand, closely monitoring product shelf life, and exploring alternatives to divert surplus food from landfills. "Our goal is to maximize resource efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of our operations," Mr. Tawit affirmed.
By employing meticulous inventory management strategies and extending product lifecycles through proper handling and storage, CPFGS aims to significantly curb the volume of surplus food designated for disposal. When surplus inventory is unavoidable, the company actively seeks opportunities to repurpose safe, high-quality food items through partnerships with charitable organizations and food redistribution programs.
As part of Thailand's Food Bank project, CP Foods shares its extensive expertise in managing surplus food efficiently. The company has implemented robust measures to minimize food waste throughout its supply chain, including optimized inventory planning, effective shelf-life management, and diverting safe, high-quality surplus food to vulnerable communities.
Since June 2020, CP Foods has been collaborating with the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS Thailand) on the impactful "Circular Meal" project. Through this initiative, surplus food items from the company's two logistics and distribution centers in Chachoengsao province and Samut Sakhon province, are redirected to serve vulnerable communities. The surplus includes ready-to-eat meals and frozen and chilled foods that maintain high quality, safety, and nutritional standards.
These perfectly consumable surplus foods are distributed to underprivileged groups, such as low-income families, children, and the elderly, in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. The "Circular Meal" project has provided over 200,000 nourishing meals to these disadvantaged communities.
Notably, this food recovery and redistribution effort has prevented approximately 50 tons of food waste from ending up in landfills. Additionally, it has mitigated greenhouse gas emissions by over 124 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), comparable to planting more than 13,000 trees.
By diverting surplus food to those in need, CP Foods demonstrates its commitment to sustainable practices that simultaneously address food insecurity and minimize the company's environmental footprint. The "Circular Meal" project exemplifies how strategic cross-sector partnerships can create tangible positive impacts for society and the planet.
"At CP Foods, we prioritize responsible production and consumption practices, setting an ambitious target of Zero Food Waste to Landfill," affirmed Mr. Tawit. “We stand ready to collaborate and contribute our expertise in studying innovative approaches to effectively manage surplus food and reduce food waste across the nation.”
Recently, CP Foods participated in the launch of the Thailand's Food Bank project launched by NSTDA, supported by the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA). The project plays as a model and creates guidelines for managing surplus food suitable for Thailand to ensure equal access to food for those in need and vulnerable groups. CP Foods representatives shared their experience in managing surplus food and jointly donating surplus food to the SOS foundation for prepare nutritious meal for vulnerable residents surrounding Khlong Song Kratiem School, Lat Phrao, Bangkok.
