PATA goes on BUFFET diet to take bite out of food waste in tourism

Raising awareness of food excess

PATA is rallying support for a campaign to raise awareness about food waste and challenge the travel industry – particularly the hospitality sector – to reduce food waste to landfill.

The main activities in the BUFFET (Building an Understanding For Food Excess in Tourism) initiative will include raising awareness of food waste and creating regional-based resources to help hospitality and tourism professionals drive change and ultimately reduce their waste to landfill.

The association is already working with project partner Scholars of Sustenance (Thai-SOS) and knowledge partner Futouris to drive the campaign forward, but is seeking to engage further with hotels interested to reduce waste to landfill or those already implementing food waste solutions, sponsors, as well as those who would like to help in raising awareness.

While the initiative aims to impact the industry at large, it will also focus additional efforts on hotels and F&B providers in Asia, as well as specific hotel properties in Bangkok as part of the Bangkok Hotels Project, with the expertise of Thai-SOS.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy said: “With significant growth expected in the industry and especially the Asia-Pacific region in the near future, greater waste can be expected. Our aim is to curb that waste by bringing the tourism and hospitality sectors together to reduce our impact on the planet by reducing our industry’s food waste to landfill. Reducing food waste will reduce the cost for operators in the industry while benefiting the environment at the same time.”

The association shared that food waste is the third biggest contributor to climate change, while one-third of all foods produced in the world is wasted. Additional pressures arise from GHG emissions caused by food production and transportation, PATA shared.

-TTG Asia.