Turkey launches school food waste awareness programs

In observance of the United Nations International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, agricultural directorates in Turkey have launched educational initiatives in schools to promote conscious consumption.

In Konya, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry conducted training sessions for 269 students at Mustafa Necati Primary School and TOKİ Ardıçlı Kindergarten in the Selçuklu district. Food engineers and veterinary doctors provided age-appropriate instruction covering topics such as proper portioning, the difference between expiration and best-before dates, waste separation, and the prevention of obesity.

Similarly, in Balıkesir, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, in collaboration with local education directorates, held awareness programs in schools. These sessions emphasized that food waste extends beyond discarded meals; it also represents the loss of the water, energy, labor, and natural resources used throughout the production, harvesting, and transportation processes. The goal of these programs is to instill sustainable consumption habits in children from a young age.