Food Waste: Indonesia's Annual Problem

Indonesia's food waste problem is increasingly worrying. It causes all sorts of problems, from environmental to financial losses. In a virtual conference entitled "Tackling Food Lost and Food Waste Problem," held during Katadata’s 2021 SAFE Forum, Waste4Change founder and managing director, Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano, said that during 2000-2019, Indonesia lost around Rp 213 trillion-Rp 551 trillion per year due to food waste or equivalent to 4-5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Indonesia produces up to 185.753 tons of waste per day or around 65 million tons per year and food waste accounts for the largest percentage, reaching up to 30.8 percent. Junerosano explained that the food waste problem was caused by the lack of good handling practices, good storage facilities, market quality standards, and consumer preferences, aside from the lack of information or education of food workers and consumers, as well as excessive food consumption.