According to a report by the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP’s) Food Waste Index Report 2021, 1 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year.
Also, as indicated in the latest report of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), the number of people affected by hunger rose to as much as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since 2019.
In all, an estimated 3.1 billion people do not have access to a healthy diet.
In response to this dual challenge of global hunger and food waste, the SIG Way Beyond Good Foundation launched the Cartons for Good (CFG) initiative as a sustainable solution to tackle these issues.
As a part of this program, the foundation seeks to provide nutritious meals to the people belonging to the underprivileged section of society, create more job opportunities and reduce food waste.
The initiative’s mission is to “pack meals with purpose” safely and sustainably, leveraging SIG’s unique filling technology.
The CFG meals are packed in SIG carton packaging that is designed to be fully recyclable and can last up to nine months without refrigeration and preservatives.
The meals are distributed daily to pupils in schools for underprivileged families. After use, the empty packs are repurposed into new products using local recycling solutions.
Talking about the CFG initiative, Samuel Sigrist, CEO of SIG and chairman of the board of trustees of the SIG Way Beyond Good Foundation, said: “At SIG, we are aware of the nutritional challenges being faced across the globe, including malnourishment, food loss, challenging infrastructures, and uncertainties around harvest time. We are proud of what we have achieved with our CFG pilot project. Now, it’s time to elevate our aspirations for CFG, and welcome ambitious new partners on board to successfully provide more nutritious, shelf-stable food in a safe, sustainable, and affordable way.”
The foundation sources vegetables and food products directly from farmers who are unable to sell all of their produce due to a seasonal surplus.
They purchase produce that would otherwise go to waste and use it to prepare nutritious meals locally.
Their aim is to create job opportunities, fairly compensate farmers, and reduce food waste.
Khan Zubair Symon, country manager Bangladesh at SIG said: “Through this initiative, we aim to provide nutritious meals to the underprivileged, create employment opportunities, and combat food waste with innovation in Bangladesh. The SIG Foundation is committed to a future where no one goes to bed hungry, and our Cartons for Good initiative is an innovative contribution to this vision.”
Vandana Tandan, head of markets India & Bangladesh at SIG, said: “Access to nutritious food and clean water is a basic human right. Through this initiative, we aim to play our part in reducing global food waste and providing it to the people who need it the most. We invite partners to join us in our mission to pack meals with purpose and create a positive influence on the environment and communities.”
The pilot project of Cartons for Good (CFG) was launched by the SIG Foundation in 2019 in Bangladesh, where 15.2% of the population is considered undernourished.
Implemented in partnership with the leading international development organization Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (Brac), represented by BRAC Dairy and Food Enterprise, the SIG foundation trained local people to operate the filling unit, coordinated the project, and worked with more than 20 individual farmers in rural locations.
The pilot project supports up to 6 local schools, so it nourishes around180 children.
Throughout 2022, 24,600 meals were delivered and over 13 tons of food prevented from going to waste.
