Abstract:
Food rescue has been identified as a sustainable approach in preventing wastage of surplus food and achieving food security. Although food insecurity is widely prevalent in developing countries, there is a paucity of research investigating food donations and rescue operations in these countries. This study focuses on surplus food redistribution activities from a developing country perspective. Specifically, the study analyses the structure, motivations, and limitations of the existing food rescue system in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by conducting a series of structured interviews with twenty food donors and redistributors. The food rescue system in Sri Lanka characterises a sporadic redistribution, and food donors and rescuers are mainly driven by humanitarian motives. The findings also reveal missing institutions - facilitator organisations and back-line organisations - in the surplus food rescue system. Food redistributors identified that inadequate food logistics and establishing formal partnerships as major challenges in food rescue operations. Establishing intermediary organisations such as food banks to provide the required food logistics, imposing food safety parameters and minimum quality standards required for surplus food redistribution, and community awareness programmes on food redistribution can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of food rescue operations. There is an urgent need to embed food rescue as a strategy to reduce food wastage and to enhance food security in existing policies.
摘要:
粮食救援已被确定为防止多余粮食浪费和实现粮食安全的可持续方法。尽管粮食不安全在发展中国家普遍存在,在这些国家,缺乏调查食品捐赠和救援行动的研究。本研究从发展中国家的角度关注剩余粮食再分配活动。具体来说,这项研究分析了结构,动机,以及科伦坡现有食品救援系统的局限性,斯里兰卡,通过对20个食品捐赠者和再经销商进行一系列结构化访谈。斯里兰卡的粮食救援系统具有零星的再分配特征,粮食捐助者和救援人员主要是出于人道主义动机。调查结果还揭示了过剩食品救援系统中缺失的机构-促进组织和后台组织。食品再分销商认为,食品物流不足和建立正式伙伴关系是食品救援行动中的主要挑战。建立食品银行等中介机构,提供所需的食品物流,规定剩余食物再分配所需的食品安全参数和最低质量标准,和社区对粮食再分配的认识计划可以提高粮食救援行动的效率和效力。迫切需要将粮食救援作为减少粮食浪费和加强粮食安全的战略纳入现有政策。