SOS has been working to re-purpose surplus food ordinarily discarded as rubbish, amounting roughly to five tons per month primarily hailing from the hospitality industry in Phuket alone.
According to SOS, the launch worked in conjunction with partners such as Phuket Shelter for Children and Families Office with Sawaeng ’Jack’ Kaola, Phuket Branch Manager of SOS, Vice Governor Phichet Panaphong, individual food donors, and other local officials coming together.
The Phuket branch first went live on UNWTO World Tourism Day (Sep 27). Founder and CEO Bo H Holmgreen said the hope was to “show support for this amazing job-creating industry on this beautiful island. Sustainability is key to the hospitality and retail food industries, and we are proud to be facilitating environmental improvements while giving back to local communities. Good, edible food must go to people, never should it rot in the landfill.” Together we make a huge impact on land and people! Thanks to our current 100 food donors adding more in this quest for Food Equity.”
Phuket branch manager Sawaeng said, “Phuket province receives more than a million visitors monthly. The anticipation to feed these visitors generates a surplus food supply of about five tons per month across Phuket Island. The surplus food is still edible but may be slightly past its shelf life and thus not suitable to be sold.”
Realising the levels of poverty in conjunction with the massive amounts of surplus food, SOS decided to take action here in Phuket to replicate their already successful programs in the USA, Bali, Indonesia, as well as the capitol city, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sewang went on to explain that “The SOS staff gather edible surplus foods from hotels and supermarkets, inspect it for quality, and serve nourishing meals to the needy. Removing this plant matter from the landfill decreases greenhouse gas emissions as well as improves the quality of life of people in the area. We improve the environment while increasing the nutritional use of uneaten resources. We are eager to offer our simple no-cost services across Phuket”
Currently, “SOS receives about 170 kilograms per day of surplus food from 11 hotels, four shops and supermarket in Phuket. We then distribute food to recipients such as the Good Shepherd Home for Women and Children, Phuket Sunshine Village, Holland House, Banya Literacy Centre, Phuket Shelter for Children and Families, Home and Hope, and other low-income communities in Phuket and nearby province” Sewang said.
SOS welcomes all hotels and shops to be a partner in the program. If interested in participating, please contact 081-9508711, or email Jack at Sawaeng.Kaola@scholarsofsustenance.org