The volume of food wasted in Bahrain is rising from 400 tonnes per day, on an average, to 600 tonnes during the holy month of Ramadan.

A lot of food is ending up in trash cans here at a time when the world is fighting malnutrition and poverty. The amount of food wasted in Bahrain in a year could eliminate famine at least from one African country, observed Thawra Al Daen, executive director of Food Preservation Association. She revealed that the volume of food waste is rising from 400 tonnes per day, on an average, to 600 tonnes during the holy month of Ramadan.

Food Preservation Association is a voluntary non-profit organisation that collects and packs food leftovers from hotels, restaurants and special events according to health standards, and redistributes it to local families and expatriate workers, as well as needy individuals throughout the Kingdom. The initiative has significantly reduced the amount of food waste, by distributing 170,000 meals to beneficiaries since 2015. The association has also received a licence from the Ministry of Social Development to distribute collected food. “Members of the association first check the quality of food because we care for the health of our beneficiaries. After heating in microwaves the food is filled in cans before being distributed to the needy. “We make sure that there is no delay in the distribution of meals to ensure the safety of food, and we work to identify the recipients in advance. Most of them are citizens from low-income families or expat workers.”