By Blake Lee
A passionate team of six young adults from Melbourne’s south-west want to establish food wastage awareness and reduction procedures.
Asha Surujpal, Raidah Parvez, Krushnadevsinh Ravalji, Alexander Dalton, Hugo Somboonsin and Nicole Yaneza-Bagatsing participated in the YMCA’s Victorian Youth Parliament program from June 25-30, representing Wyndham council.
Their bill aims to reduce food wastage across Victoria, which they debated in the Parliament of Victoria’s Legislative Assembly on Monday, June 26.
“We waste tons of food, and it costs our economy so much,” Hugo said.
“Food is a human right. In this country, we throw away 25 per cent of the food that we produce, there are people who have to decide between going hungry or going homeless.”
The team wants food wastage regulations within various businesses and organisations mandated to ensure the environmental and social wellbeing of Victorians.
According to the team, big corporations will not do anything unless food wastage laws are standardised legally.
“We need strong legislations in place to make sure we can enact change,” Krushnadevsinh said.
“It is unacceptable and embarrassing that in our so-called ‘first world society’ not everyone is able to access food,” Asha said on Monday.
Providing individuals with sustainable practices through the establishment of a central Food Bank system in each LGA is a key aspect of the bill.
“Setting up food banks in every Victorian LGA will create jobs all across Victoria,” Krushnadevsinh said.
The food bank will be responsible for collecting surplus food from restaurants and businesses, and will sort these items to be given away, sold at a low price, or composted to individuals and organisations in need.
In 2021, FoodBank Victoria found more than 540,000 households went hungry due to the issue of food insecurity.
“This would reduce the stress and anxiety associated with not being able to afford sufficient quantities of food,” Raidah said.
“It’s important that we not only stop food waste, but make sure food is used more efficiently,” Hugo said.
“This bill is solely required in order to address many, many inefficiencies in food waste handling.”
If legislated, food wastage procedures will be implemented in schools and communities, with composting systems to be utilised by these groups to benefit the environment.
The team said that this composting system would be a joint effort between young people and adults with the purpose of allowing each community to grow and be more sustainable.
The bill passed Youth Parliament, with 27-10 votes, and has been handed to the minister for youth for consideration.
Blake Lee is a YMCA Youth Press Gallery journalist
