Food rescue efforts by SOS reach milestone 55M meals across SEA

Bangkok, Thailand, 24 October, 2024 – At the recent World Food Day 2024 celebration, the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS) announced it has served over 55 million meals across Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, exceeding its 50 million meal goal by 2025 through rescued surplus food.

Surplus food rescue addresses hunger and climate change. The World Health Organization reports that 2.33 billion people face moderate to severe food insecurity, while one-third of the world’s food is wasted, contributing to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

What is surplus food rescue?

Food rescue involves recovering surplus food that is still safe to eat, preventing waste and alleviating hunger in vulnerable communities. By donating non-perishable items like canned goods, Filipinos can contribute to this important initiative. Donations can be placed in designated SOS-labeled crates in workplaces or residential areas, with regular pickups scheduled for distribution to partner communities.

Since 2016, SOS has worked to combat food insecurity and reduce environmental impact by rescuing surplus food for vulnerable communities. As the largest non-profit food rescue organization in Southeast Asia, SOS is expanding outreach to funding partners in environmental and humanitarian sectors, food businesses, and government agencies to enhance food rescue and distribution efforts.

“Our success across Southeast Asia demonstrates that food rescue is a practical and scalable solution. With strong multi-stakeholder support, we continue to expand and deepen our impact on both people and the planet. By addressing food waste, we’re taking steps towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, and SDG 13, Climate Action,” said Bo Holmgreen, Founder and CEO of SOS.

SOS achievements

• In Thailand, 40,000 meals were collected in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority.

• In Indonesia, international schools delivered three tons of food, resulting in 12,986 meals.

• In the Philippines, 400 volunteers prepared 7,000 meals throughout October.

Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization focused on reducing food waste and insecurity since 2016. SOS rescues surplus food from various sources and distributes it to those in need, having reduced CO2e emissions by 33 million kilograms to date. For more information, visit www.scholarsofsustenance.org or follow on Facebook @sosfoundationthai to support our mission of Zero Hunger and Zero Food Waste.