TÜGİS Chairman Sidar Calls for a Waste-Free Ramadan
TÜGİS Chairman Kaan Sidar called for responsible consumption to combat food waste during the month of Ramadan. Noting that an average of 12 million loaves of bread are thrown away daily in Türkiye, Sidar stated that a behavioral change starting in households would achieve significant savings and resource efficiency on a nationwide scale.
TÜGİS Management Board Chair Kaan Sidar called for responsible consumption during Ramadan to combat food waste. Pointing out that approximately 12 million loaves of bread are discarded daily in Turkey, Sidar stated that behavioral change starting in households would deliver significant savings and resource efficiency gains at the national level.
Increased shopping and table preparations during Ramadan have brought food waste discussions to the fore. TÜGİS (Turkey Food Manufacturers Employers' Association) Management Board Chair Kaan Sidar, making statements on this matter, presented striking data on the scale of food waste in the world and in Turkey.
One billion people could be fed globally
Citing data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Sidar said that 30 percent of food produced worldwide is wasted before reaching store shelves, stating, "Every food item we lose today means wasted water, energy and labor spent from farm to kitchen. If only a quarter of losses and waste could be recovered, savings would be on a scale that could meet the daily food needs of approximately one billion people."
Turkey discards 12 million loaves of bread daily
Pointing out that bread is one of the most visible items of daily waste in Turkey, Sidar said, "As a nation, according to our faith and culture, we show respect to bread we see on the street and place it to our foreheads. Yet approximately 12 million loaves being thrown away daily hurts both conscience and budget. Particularly during Ramadan, this figure rises further. Shopping beyond necessity, large portions and unplanned preparations increase waste. Therefore, as TÜGİS, we call on all our citizens to multiply Ramadan's blessings through waste-free tables." Sidar added that behavioral change beginning in households could deliver tangible savings at the national level.
TÜGİS
One of Turkey's first employers' associations, TÜGİS is also a founding member of the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK). With Turkey's leading food producers among its members, TÜGİS has signed pioneering work for over half a century toward the development of Turkish food industry and increasing its competitive power in international markets. Since it began operations in 1961, TÜGİS has been an innovative civil society organization making continuous contributions to social dialogue, labor peace and food industry development.
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