Mrs. Kobboon Srichai, Head of Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (SET: CPF), said that under the company’s “CPF 2030 Sustainability in Action Strategy,” the company places importance on efficient resource utilization and waste management throughout the value chain, aiming to achieve zero waste to landfill and incineration. The company has announced food loss and food waste policies, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which target a reduction of food surplus and food waste by over 50% at the retail and consumer levels.
“CPF is embracing the circular economy principle to foster sustainable food production and consumption, support food security goals, and mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Kobboon Srichai.
CPF has implemented various initiatives to improve food loss management in the production process as well as reduce the amount of food waste. For instance, the company has initiated the smart egg conveyor system project, an automated egg handling system, to minimize egg damage during transportation from the farm to the egg sorting plant and during the egg sorting process. As a result, the system has enabled the company to reduce more than 1 million damaged eggs in 2022. This year, CPF plans to install the smart egg conveyor system at the company’s 7 egg complexes across the country.
Meanwhile, CPF strives to add value to animal parts and components, such as innards, pig heads, and shredded meat, by selling them as fresh food or processed foods. This approach not only enhances the value of these products but also ensures their safe consumption, as seen with products like pasteurized pork blood cubes and lard. CPF utilizes animal innards, feathers, and eggs that are damaged during production as feed raw materials in a bid to reduce the amount of waste from production lines.
Additionally, the company also turns waste from production processes into value. This includes transitioning waste to energy by installing a biogas system to treat wastewater containing organic matter from animals, thereby producing biogas energy. They also utilize used vegetable oil to produce biodiesel.
CPF has made significant strive in reducing surplus food through collaborations with the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS) and GEPP Sa-Ard Company (GEPP). Since June 2020, CPF has pioneered the Circular Meal program, which focuses on transforming surplus food into ready-to-eat, delicious, clean, and safe meals, while also managing post-consumer plastic packaging. From January 2022 to May of this year, the program has provided food to vulnerable groups, including elderly, disabled individuals, and low-income families in Bangkok and its metropolitan area, totaling over 130,000 meals.
The meals provided by CPF are more nutritious and healthier, containing a high level of protein, accounting for 92.5 percent of a meal, which ensures health and wellness. The program has resulted in the reduction of 31.19 tons of food waste and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions by 23.84 tons of CO2e. Additionally, the program also collects and recycles 7,000 pieces of post-consumer plastic packaging within a closed-loop system. It also manages unrecycled packaging properly and effectively.
