JAKARTA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's National Food Agency (Bapanas) announced Tuesday that the government would process food waste from the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program into economically valuable products, such as animal feed and compost, as part of its environmental contribution.
The agency estimates that leftover food from meals distributed to schools across the Southeast Asian country reaches 1.4 million tons annually.
"What can be saved clearly has economic value as animal feed or compost. It is our responsibility to ensure that leftover food from the MBG program is not wasted," said Bapanas Acting Chief Secretary Sarwo Edhy in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, edible leftover food will be donated to those in need. Of the total 1.4 million tons of food waste, approximately 603,000 tons are edible and can be redistributed, while the rest are inedible and will be repurposed.
"The success of the MBG program is measured not only by its health and education impact but also by its environmental contribution," Edhy added. ■
