In the mentioned UNEP report, Malaysia was identified as the worst global per capita offender in terms of food waste. The report shared that Malaysians waste an astounding 8.3 million metric tonnes of food annually, with each individual contributing 259.82kg to this alarming statistic. Yet, according to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Malaysia has the dubious distinction of ranking 58th out of 121 countries. We waste food when we still have communities that do not have enough to eat.
Our country is at a critical juncture, and we urgently need to tackle these fundamental problems of food waste, hunger, and food security. Through research and relevant projects, Taylor’s University’s Food Security and Nutrition Impact Lab (“FoSN IL”) aspires to contribute real solutions to these national issues that Malaysia is struggling with.
To address the problem of national food waste, our FoSN IL introduced a popular alternative composting method that uses Black Soldier Fly Larvae (“BSFL”). This method is more effective than traditional composting which is time-consuming, and machine composting which has high electricity consumption. BSFL reduces organic waste within a shorter period (7 days) as these larvae can quickly consume and decompose large amounts of such waste until they reach the pre-pupae stage.
