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Waste Not, Want Not With Second Harvest Food Bank

By Camilla Lie JenssenFeb 3rd, 2010

Second Harvest food van

We’ve talked a lot about food at greenz.jp and about reducing waste associated with food, including ideas such as the okaeri plate and the “WASARA” Good Plate For Good Food, but there hasn’t been much discussion about wasted food itself. And yet, 19 million tonnes of food goes in the trash every year and 9 million tonnes of this hasn’t even expired before it hits the bin, while more than 650,000 people in Japan lack food security. Sad, wasteful and shameful statistics that Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) is trying to do something about.

2HJ was the first food bank charity of its kind in Japan and has inspired individuals and organisations to get involved in this worthy cause since 2002. The 2HJ charity is not just about helping the homeless. The largest groups to benefit from 2HJ are single parent households and the elderly. In order to make sure no one is left out, the charity is split into four groups with different areas of responsibilities. The Food Banking section ensures agencies and institutions such as orphanages, shelters for victims of domestic violence and support organisations for single mothers are catered to.

The Hot Meal Program distributes 700-800 meals a week to homeless people in Ueno Park. The Harvest Pantry offers temporary support of emergency groceries to individuals and households. The final branch is dedicated to development and advocacy of food banking by liaising with donors and spreading the word.

Watch “Japanese Food Reality (English)” by Second Harvest

This is less about individuals saving their leftovers, and more a collaboration with retailer and food producers such as Costco, Nichirei and Nestle Japan. However, anyone can roll up their sleeves and get involved by doing local food drives, giving a few hours of spare time or other resources. This is a charity that very much works locally and has tangible goals and needs for people to take action.

Throwing mountains of perfectly good food straight in the bin is a disgrace, especially in a country that relies on foreign imports for over half of the food it consumes. A figure higher than any other developed nation in the world.

2hj_logo

Get stuck in. Here’s the 2HJ “equipment wish list” as of right now.

Watch “Japanese Food Reality (Japanese)” by Second Harvest

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  • joanbailey
    I'm really glad to read about this. I've often wondered where all the unused and unbought food goes. I'd had my suspicions about it getting tossed at the end of the day, but I'm happy to see an organization like Second Harvest here.
  • greenzjp_en
    Grandma always said "waste not, want not", but Second Harvest is really putting that into practice!
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