Half cup of rice pushed as standard national serving

Thet Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said it is pushing for an executive order (EO) to eventually make the half cup of rice as the standard serving size.

Citing the need to minimize waste, PhilRice Head of Development Communication Hazel V. Antonio-Beltran said in an online briefing on Monday that it is proposing initially that food service establishments within government agencies be the testing ground for the half-cup policy, “Then we will now look at the impact that will have on waste,” she said.

The data will be the basis for expanding the standard to private restaurants.

“Right now we only have household data. We can use (the government test run) as reference to promote the initiative in all restaurants,” Ms. Antonio-Beltran said.

According to PhilRice, Philippine households waste about 255,000 metric tons of rice per year, or 19 to 20 kilograms per household. The amount of rice wasted is equivalent to the consumption of 2.79 million people.

She added that the PhilRice is also proposing penalties of between P3,000 and P10,000 for non-compliance.

She said that the Private Sector Advisory Council also supports the initiative and is awaiting approval from the President.

“They’re just waiting for the final approval. Then, maybe, we can start next year. When that happens, maybe after two years, we can make him a national,” Ms. Antonio-Beltran added.

PhilRice has said that 47 local government units have adopted ordinances requiring food establishments to serve rice in half cups.

Source: Business World

It is illegal to burn solid waste on your own property

Burning solid waste within your own property in the Philippines is illegal.

This is primarily governed by Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Key Provisions of RA 9003:

• Prohibition on Open Burning: Section 46 explicitly bans the open burning of solid waste, including leaves and other waste materials.

• Penalties: Violators can face imprisonment from 1 to 15 days and fines ranging from Php 300 to Php 1,000.

Acts Prohibited:

• Burning of any solid waste: This includes household garbage, agricultural waste, and other types of refuse.

• Open burning in any form: Whether it’s in your backyard or any other location, open burning is not allowed.

The law aims to protect public health and the environment by promoting proper waste management practices.

Source: Ziggurat Real Estate

PHL household food waste falls sharply to nearly 3 million tons a year

International Day of Zero Waste 2024

Philippine households wasted nearly 3 million tons of food a year, down sharply from 2021 totals, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a report.

According to the UNEP’s 2024 Food Waste Index Report, Philippine household food waste amounted to 2.95 million tons a year, or 26 kilograms (kg) per capita.

The 2024 report finding is 68.35% lower than the 9.33 million tons/year reported in 2021.

The Food Waste Index measures the amount of food and its inedible parts wasted in retail, food service, and households.

The household sector worldwide accounted for 60% or 631 million tons of wasted food, followed by food service at 28% (or 290 million tons) and retail 12% (or 131 million tons).

“Not only is this a major development issue, but the impacts of such unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature,” UNEP executive director Inger Angersen said in a statement.

Philippine per-capita household food waste is also lower than the Southeast Asian average of 70 kilograms.

The UNEP also measured the amount of food waste in three provinces within the Philippines. It reported that Cagayan De Oro had a food waste estimate of 26 kg/per capita in a year, Legazpi at 33 kg/per capita, and Ormoc at 18 kg/per capita.

The report also found out that countries with higher temperatures generate more food waste per capita in households, citing the potential for food to spoil, as well as insufficient cold storage facilities.

“The data confirms that food waste is not just a ‘rich country’ problem, with levels of household food waste differing in observed average levels for high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle- income countries by just 7 kg per capita,” according to the report.

Household food waste in the Philippines may have declined due to improved distribution facilities like farm-to-market roads and storage, said Ateneo De Manila economics professor Leonardo A. Lanzona.

However, the continued surge food prices is attributed to middleman control of the supply chain, especially in distribution.

“This suggests that the farmers do not have much access to these facilities. The middlemen who distribute these farm products are able to utilize these facilities to their advantage,” Mr. Lanzona said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Food inflation in February accelerated to 4.8% from 3.3% in January, mainly due to rice prices, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The government should ensure that farmers gain equal access to distribution facilities to ease prices and avoid food waste, according to Mr. Lanzona.

Governments are also urged to engage in public-private partnerships to ensure all stakeholders participate in reducing wastage in the food supply chain, according to the report.

food_waste_index_report_2024.pdf

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Source: Business World