Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CP Foods) has partnered with the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS) Thailand, a global food rescue organization, to continue the Circular Meal program for three consecutive years, with the goal to reduce food waste and ensure food security.
This partnership aims to ensure equitable access to high-quality and hygienic food for all segments of the population, including underprivileged populations, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. This CSR program has partnered with GEPP Sa-ard, a Thai start-up focusing on waste management, to implement a take-back system based on the closed-loop principle.
The program follows the principles of zero food waste and a take-back system, supporting responsible food production and consumption in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since the project began in June 2020, the ‘Circular Meal’ program has successfully delivered 130,000 meals to vulnerable communities in and around Bangkok from 2021 to May 2023. This has led to a reduction in food waste by 31.19 tons and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 23.84 tons of CO2 equivalent – equivalent to planting 2,492 trees.
Tawit Thanhakarnjanakul, director at CPF Global Food Solution PCL. (CPFGS), the leading global food solutions provider engaged in food products and services under CP Foods, stated that the company has committed to establishing food security by adhering to a Zero Food Waste to Landfill policy to achieve the goals of CPF’s 2030 Sustainability Action Plan.
CPFGS utilizes fresh, safe, and high-quality surplus food from its inventory to create nutritionally balanced meals for the residents of the Klong Latpachee community and supplies surplus food to nearby communities, which is used as cooking ingredients.
The success of this project is attributed to the combined efforts of CP Foods volunteers, the SOS Foundation’s Thailand branch staff, and executives from GEPP Sa-ard.
“CPFGS reaffirms the company’s dedication to CP Foods’ food security goals and the Zero Food Waste to Landfill policy. This aligns with CP Foods’ 2030 Sustainability in Action objective of reducing landfill waste. By redistributing surplus nutritious food, we are ensuring equal access to food and enhancing the health of vulnerable communities,” he said.
In recognition of its endeavors in ensuring food access equality, CP Foods was honored with the “Outstanding Food Rescue Award – Big Manufacturing Group” by the SOS Foundation in 2022.
To accomplish its goal of zero food waste, CP Foods collaborates with CPFGS and SOS as part of the ongoing Circular Meal initiative. Meanwhile, GEPP Sa-ard has participated in the take-back and recycling of plastic and paper packaging materials, following a closed-loop system. From the beginning of 2021 until May 2023, GEPP has collected more than 7,000 packaging units for recycling.
