Bappenas Says Potential Loss Due To Food Waste Reaches IDR 551 Trillion Every Year

Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of National Development Planning or the National Development Planning Agency, (Ministry of VAT/Bappenas) noted that the potential economic loss from food loss or post-harvest food and food waste or food waste at the dining table reaches IDR 551 trillion every year.

Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa said that controlling food waste needs to be done as one of the priority intervention strategies that can reduce the amount of waste accumulation.

"And also prevent the risk of economic loss of up to IDR 551 trillion per year," said Suharso at the Green Economy Expo 2024: Advancing Technology, Innovation and Circality at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Central Jakarta, Wednesday, July 3.

Suharso said, with the use of food remains that are still suitable for consumption, it can also meet energy needs of at least 62 percent of the total population who lack energy.

In fact, the management of aftershocks and food residue also contributed to reducing emissions by 1,702.9 Mt CO2 ek or 7.3 percent of Indonesia's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

According to Suharso, the various findings above are based on several studies compiled by Bappenas in collaboration with many parties since 2020. The collaboration is the study of the benefits of the social economy and the circular economy in Indonesia, food loss and waste studies as well as circular economic initiative books and other supporting studies.

"Various efforts to encourage capacity building are carried out through policy dialogue, workshops and knowledge products," he said.

As for the results of Bappenas' research, it was noted that Indonesia threw away food waste of 23 million tons to 48 million tons per year in the 2000-2019 period with an estimated economic loss of IDR 213 trillion to IDR 551 trillion per year. This figure is equivalent to 4-5 percent of Indonesia's GDP per year.