Sustainable Menu, a menu that emits less greenhouse gases than general menus, from CP Food World at UNESCAP Thailand, where they are very serious about food waste management to make everyone a hero who saves the world in every delicious meal.
It is believed that everyone in this world is a “foodie” because food is one of the four essential factors for human life. No one does not need to eat food. No one who eats the wrong food will not get sick.
The shocking truth is that even though we are able to produce a lot of food today using modern technology, the entire process before it gets to our plates or even after we eat it is a major contributor to global warming. However, the even more shocking truth is that while food production and consumption warms the planet, a warming planet is also undermining everyone’s food security.
So if we don’t change our food production methods to be more sustainable and change our eating habits to be more environmentally responsible today, we will not have delicious food to enjoy in the future.
The Practical invites you to CP Food World, the food center at the UNESCAP Thailand Conference, because this place serves sustainable menus or Sustainable Menus, which not only emit less greenhouse gases than general food menus at affordable prices, but are also serious about managing food waste to turn waste into fertilizer to nourish crops and make them grow back into delicious meals again.
Mr. Pasu Siriseriwan, General Manager of Corporate Sustainability Management, Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CPF), will tell us about this project and many others that he is part of the team behind, which helps to make our food production and consumption more sustainable so that everyone can be a hero who saves the world with every meal.
Eat food that shakes the stars
How does the food we eat make the planet warm? Every activity on Earth creates greenhouse gases that cause global temperatures to rise. However, the entire food system – from growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, distributing, cooking and waste – emit about two-thirds of human-caused greenhouse gases.
And as mentioned earlier, global warming will change the way we eat because climate change causes ecosystems to fluctuate, rains to fall out of season, and natural resources to deteriorate. All of this has a direct impact on the cultivation of crops that are the foundation of all the food we eat.
Today, we have food security, but in the future, that security will be shaken. Every plate of rice, every food we eat today has a bigger impact on the world than we realize. As a major food operator that delivers ingredients and delicious meals to consumers, CPF is well aware of this. They are therefore moving full steam ahead to create a more sustainable food system in many dimensions.
Low-Carbon Eating Style
CP Food World is one of CPF’s prototype projects, located at the Food Center of the United Nations Conference Center, UNESCAP. “The owner of the area, UNESCAP, already has a Greening the Blue project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from various activities within the organization, which is in line with the approach we are currently driving. When combined, the approach to sustainable production and consumption becomes clearer and more tangible.”
Mr. Pasu further explained that the drive is divided into two dimensions: creating sustainable menus and effectively managing food waste.
“Sustainable menus are low carbon menus that emit low greenhouse gases. We will assess how much greenhouse gases each menu emits, not just during boiling, stir-frying, currying, or frying. We collect the amount of gas from the beginning of the raw materials to production and display the greenhouse gas information of each dish for consumers to know.”
Although in the past, livestock was an industry that released a lot of greenhouse gases, fortunately, many producers are now aware and developing innovations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the Low Carbon Chicken used for cooking at CP Food World is chicken raised on green farms that are meticulously processed in every step, resulting in the greenhouse gas emissions of fresh chicken meat being 50 percent lower than the standard value of general chicken.
Expanding the kitchen of sustainability
At the same time, food trucks powered by fossil fuels are also a source of greenhouse gas emissions.
“The ingredients for each menu at CP Food World are therefore mainly purchased from stores located not far from the food center to shorten transportation distances.”
Next is the food waste management section, which Mr. Pasu explains that the heart of the operation is that no food waste should be sent to landfill. “Throughout UNESCAP, there is already a separation of different types of waste, including food waste, which is picked up to be used as animal feed or composted. When each type of waste is separated and not mixed, it is easy for it to be recycled or used in other ways.”
Mr. Pasu said that in the end, the price of the sustainable menu that CP Food World offers as an option to UNESCAP staff and international participants is no different from the regular menu. Therefore, consumers can choose to consume responsibly and help reduce greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere at a similar price.
Today, CPF is studying the possibility of expanding the CP Food World model of the UNESCAP Food Center to other branches in universities, hospitals and shopping malls, especially sustainable food menus. When the results of the Life Cycle Assessment are complete, CPF plans to add low-emission menus to all branches to provide more choices for consumers in other places.
Meal Hero
Pasu said that she was happy that her work helped create food security and was proud that she could sometimes help people in difficult situations. In Pasu’s view, her work in the Sustainability Stakeholder Relations Team, the Corporate Sustainability Development Unit, is not just about pushing the environment, but also about the social aspect.
“For example, when we did the Circular Meal project, this meal changes the world. In the big picture, this project pushed for the goal of zero food waste by 2030. In the small picture, the operational level is to deliver food that is close to its expiration date but still edible, with intact and safe packaging from the distribution center to distribute to target groups in need, including low-income groups, volunteer groups, and frontline groups that are responsible for preventing COVID-19.”
Finally, whether you are someone who works directly in this field like Mr. Pasu or a “foodie” who loves to try delicious food, we are all heroes who can save the world.
“I think sustainable production and consumption can only happen when both producers and consumers go hand in hand. Producers should consider the acquisition of raw materials, produce with maximum efficiency, and avoid waste. This creates sustainable production. At the same time, consumers should buy products in moderation, consume them all, and not leave any leftovers as food waste. That is a good starting point for sustainable consumption.”
We adapt, the world changes. The Next Generation: Sustainable Menu, a delicious meal that saves the world.
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We adjust, the world changes The Next Generation because we all can “change” the world for the better. Meet many ideas and actions from the new generation who have risen up to “adjust” their thinking and take action to jointly create a sustainable world.
#WeShiftWorldChange #NextGeneration #WeShiftWorldChange #EveryoneCanChangeTheWorldForTheBetter
