It is high time for Malaysia to formulate a specific law addressing food waste to demonstrate its commitment to tackling this global problem, says Miss Earth Malaysia 2022 Dr Kajel Kaur Gill.
She highlighted the need for a legal framework to promote sustainable practices and prevent the disposal of edible food, which contributes significantly to food waste.
Such a law, she said, would enable Malaysia to address environmental, social, and economic challenges related to food waste and support its commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
“We live in a country that has delicious food and most of the time, without even realising, we discard edible food which is a significant issue that contributes to food waste.
“As such, the only way to stop the habit of wasting food in the society is by having an effective law that can promote sustainable practices,” she told Bernama.
For a start, she said, restaurants in Malaysia could put up signage like ‘Eat what you can’ or ‘Don’t be overly ambitious on what you have in your plate’ as a responsible measure to raise awareness and educate public on food waste.
She noted that France adopted a law in 2016 to address food waste, and it has been effective.
Meanwhile, Dr Kajel Kaur, the license holder of Miss Earth Malaysia 2023 beauty pageant, announced that the pageant will be held in August this year, and the winner will represent Malaysia at the Miss Earth international beauty pageant in Vietnam at the end of the year.
