No food Waste | Mr Padmanaban Gopalan | TEDxCoimbatore

Summary

This video script narrates the journey of a social initiative called 'No Food Waste,' started in Coimbatore, India, to combat food waste and hunger. The speaker shares the story of rescuing surplus food from events like weddings and redistributing it to the needy, including orphanages, hospitals, and slums. The initiative, driven by volunteers, has expanded to multiple cities and aims to feed the hungry while promoting responsible consumption. The speaker envisions a future where India is hunger-free and food waste is eliminated through widespread participation.

Takeaways

• 🥭 The speaker bought sweet mangoes and shared a story about their journey from cultivation to the market, highlighting food wastage along the way.
• 🌾 A farmer in Salem worked for four seasons to cultivate the mangoes, but nearly 40% of the produce was lost during the process of getting to consumers.
• 🚨 India is the second-largest global food producer but ranks 97 out of 118 in the world hunger index, despite producing 10% of the world’s food.
• 🍽️ The speaker initiated a project called 'No Food Waste' on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's birthday, which aims to redistribute excess food to those in need.
• 💡 The project began with very few resources (12 rupees, public transport, and a small bag) but has grown significantly through community support.
• 📱 The initiative uses social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to spread awareness and coordinate food collection and distribution.
• 🚚 The project evolved with donations of vehicles, vessels, and volunteers, allowing it to serve orphanages, hospitals, slums, and marginalized communities.
• 🌍 The speaker won international recognition through a 'Pollination Project Visionary Award,' and the initiative is now active in over eight cities.
• 📊 Hunger mapping is a key element of the project, using geo-tagging to identify where excess food is needed and can be delivered efficiently.
• 🎯 The ultimate goal is to make India hunger-free and eliminate food waste, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and responsible consumption.

Q & A

What is the main message conveyed by the speaker about mangoes?

The speaker uses the example of mangoes to illustrate the significant amount of effort and time that goes into cultivating food, and how much of it is wasted before it even reaches consumers.

What is the name of the initiative started by the speaker?

The initiative started by the speaker is called 'No Food Waste'.

How did the 'No Food Waste' initiative begin?

The initiative began on a night of October 15, the birthday of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, when the speaker started a domain called nofoodwaste.in and put a phone number on Facebook for people to call when they had excess food to give to the needy.

What was the speaker's initial resource for starting the initiative?

The speaker started with very limited resources, having only a 10 rupee note, a 2 rupee coin, and a 2 shopper bag.

How did the speaker realize the potential impact of their initiative?

The speaker realized the potential impact when they found out that 12 rupees could feed 52 hungry people, which inspired them to continue the initiative.

What is the name of the vehicle the speaker's team bought for the initiative?

The vehicle bought for the initiative is called an 'Actix' and it was named 'Food Diva'.

How does the 'No Food Waste' initiative communicate its impact?

The initiative communicates its impact by putting reports on social media detailing the dates, sources of excess food, and where it was delivered.

What recognition did the 'No Food Waste' initiative receive?

The initiative was nominated for a pollination project visionary award, which gave it international limelight.

What is the hunger mapping project mentioned by the speaker?

The hunger mapping project is an initiative to geo-tag areas of hunger so that excess food can be delivered to the nearest location of need.

What is the speaker's ultimate goal for the 'No Food Waste' initiative?

The speaker's ultimate goal is to make India both hunger-free and food waste-free, and to shut down the 'No Food Waste' initiative because there would be no need for it.

How does the speaker plan to expand the 'No Food Waste' initiative?

The speaker plans to expand the initiative by encouraging others to replicate the model in different cities and by adopting children from orphanages to teach them skills like driving to continue the mission.