The culture of food excess in the Kingdom is still strong among many Saudi families, specifically during Ramadan, concluded a recently published report.
“Most of the food that is not consumed is thrown away and not given to needy families or individuals,” said Nadia Al-Dojan, a member of Al-Bir Charity. Al-Bir Charity assessed that up to 4,500 tons of food are wasted every day, adding that every Saudi family can feed at least one extra person throughout the month.
Al-Dojan said that there were “positive examples” of people who offered food to laborers and to the poor but added that the sight of rice thrown in rubbish bins was “shocking.”
“Large banquets and daily buffets offered by restaurants and hotels were the main source of food waste,” she said. According to Al-Itam, another charity organization, around 30 percent of the 4 million dishes prepared daily in Ramadan in the Eastern province were wasted.
“This amounts to around SR1.2 million in value,” Al-Itam said, adding that around 6,000 families have benefited from the program it launched to use the excess food from banquets in restaurants and hotels.
The association was founded by Saudi businessmen in the Eastern province keen on instilling the culture of food banks in society.
Charity deplores excessive wasting of food
