Responsible Restaurant Movement Expects Support to Turn Waste Food into Food and Fertilizer! | HORECA TREND
Follow!

Environment

Responsible Restaurant Movement Expects Support to Turn Waste Food into Food and Fertilizer!

Every year, 1,5 billion tons of food is wasted in the world and 19,1 million tons in Turkey. The "Responsible Restaurant Movement", which set out under the leadership of AKKOMARKA RESTAURANT COMMUNITY and AKKOL CATERING GROUP to protect the resources of future generations, makes a difference with its sustainability-oriented work in the food industry. In this context, with the newly launched "Food Waste Cycle" project, food waste from restaurants within the formation is sent to compost and turned into fertilizer and food. While fertilizers support local producers, food feeds lives in animal shelters and on the streets. It is also distributed free of charge to guests in restaurants. While the project was announced with a launch held in Köşebaşı Levent on May 22, all restaurants were called to join this initiative to zero out food waste.

It was published

on

 Sustainability is no longer an option, it is a necessity all over the world. Because global warming, water and soil pollution, food waste; are some of the most important problems facing the world. Implemented with the awareness of protecting the resources of future generations “Responsible Restaurant Movement” continues to work for sustainability. newly launched “Food Waste Cycle” The project aims to end food waste. In this context, the waste from the restaurants within the formation is sent to the compost facility and turned into fertilizer and food. The project aims to reduce and eliminate food waste in restaurants in a sustainable manner.

Call for All Restaurants to Participate in the Food Waste Cycle

While the project was announced with the launch held in Köşebaşı Levent on May 22, all restaurants were called to prevent food waste and to return waste to our planet by turning it into food and fertilizer. Speaking at the launch Serkan Tüfek, CEO of Akkol Catering Group, “This issue is very important to us. We invested more than 50 million TL in a four-year period. This will get bigger. We will provide training to companies that want to be involved in the formation and teach them how to differentiate the product. Then, we will send that waste to compost, turn it into food or fertilizer, and send the products back to the restaurants to distribute to their guests free of charge. "We are working to make our future safe and we want support from all restaurants for this," he said.

Stating that they aim to grow the Responsible Restaurant Movement Akkol Catering Group CQO Elif Üngör He said, “We want more restaurants, hotels, restaurants and businesses to join this movement. In 2023, there was 213 kilograms of food waste per person in Turkey. This has increased by 40 percent in the last two years. In a world where consumption is so high, we need to stop waste. That's why we are very keen to voluntarily explain the Food Waste Cycle to all restaurants and include them in it. "We think we will do this with your support," he said.

Also for the launch Akkomarka Restaurant Group Honorary President Ali Akkaş, Akkomarka Restaurant Group and Akkol Catering Group board members Volkan Akkaş ve Okan Akkaş, with artist and animal lover Perihan Savaş HAYTAP President Ahmet Kemal Şenpolat also participated.

Distributed Free of Charge

Advertising

Within the scope of "Food Waste Cycle", Responsible Restaurant Movement participants Köşebaşı, Ken Sushi, Yamo Sushi, Snob Street Food, Ali Ocakbaşı, Perihan Meyhane, Ristorante Umberto, Akkol Catering, Traditional Lezzetler Durağı, Allday Artisan Catering, Deli Toastry, Deli Kitchen and The waste from restaurants of Safderun brands is separated, packaged and sent to the compost facility with an electric food waste collection vehicle. Here, waste is transformed into fertilizer and pet food, which is distributed free of charge to guests in restaurants. In addition, the food produced will contribute to the nutrition of 2 thousand little friends per month by providing food support to animal shelters in cooperation with HAYTAP. Fertilizers are shared with farmers in Istanbul within the scope of the aim of supporting local producers, which has an important place among the sustainability strategies of the Responsible Restaurant Movement.

Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

The Responsible Restaurant Movement aims to make small changes in the habits of both employees and the 2,5 million guests hosted every year, and to make big differences with these small changes. For this reason, it is planned to reach as many brands as possible in the sector.

As the first leg of the "Food Waste Cycle" project implemented by the Responsible Restaurant Movement, preventive training was given to the personnel to reduce food waste in the purchasing and production stages with the principle of "Reduce at Source". More than 1000 employees were trained by academics on sustainability and food waste. In addition, as a result of the measurement study, food waste consisting of side dishes, which constitute the most waste returned from guests, were served according to preference and was reduced by 35 percent at the source.

With the principle of "Encourage Re-Consumption", customers are tried to be encouraged to re-consume in order to prevent waste on the table and it is recommended to package the food left on the table. With the "Recycle" process, which is the last step of the Food Waste Cycle, the remaining food waste is converted into fertilizer and animal food in the compost facility of the Responsible Restaurant Movement and distributed free of charge to guests at all restaurants and businesses participating in the movement. In addition, thousands of our little friends are fed healthily, thanks to the organic food delivered to the cooperative shelters and prepared by performing all laboratory tests and nutritional analyses.

Responsible Restaurant Movement continues its work to raise awareness so that resources are used as much as necessary, not just nominally, as a matter of responsibility towards the future and children.

Source: HORECA Trend and Responsible Restaurant Movement

Advertising

Read more
Advertising
Click to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields * Required fields are marked with

Environment

Green Technologies and Marketing: Campaigns That Reduce Carbon Footprint

Today, environmental sustainability is increasingly important on the agenda of companies and consumers. Issues such as climate change, depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution are causing serious concerns at both individual and institutional levels. In this context, green technologies and sustainable marketing strategies allow brands to both fulfill their environmental responsibilities and establish stronger and more meaningful connections with consumers. So, how much of their marketing strategies do brands look at from a green perspective? Sibel Selvi, President of Inomist Communication Consultancy Agency, evaluated the increasingly important carbon footprint-reducing campaigns and green marketing approach.

It was published

on

What is this Green Technology?

Green technologies can be defined as innovative solutions that cause minimum damage to the environment, increase energy efficiency and support the sustainable use of natural resources. These technologies can be used both in production processes and in the presentation of products and services. Sustainable marketing is a marketing approach that focuses on environmental responsibility and ethical values. This approach aims to increase brand value by taking into account consumers' environmental sensitivity and demand for sustainable products. Marketing campaigns that reduce carbon footprints both support environmental sustainability and strengthen the reputation of brands.

Have You Planted a Tree for the Future?

Carbon-neutral products and services are supported by projects that offset the carbon emissions generated during production and distribution processes. This is usually achieved by investing in carbon offset projects in areas such as renewable energy, reforestation and energy efficiency. For example, a cosmetics brand may invest in tree planting projects to offset the carbon emissions generated from the production of its products and highlight this in its marketing campaigns. Green product certifications and labeling assure consumers that products are environmentally sustainable. These certifications show that the products minimize their environmental impact and meet certain environmental standards. For example, a food brand may have certifications that document organic and environmentally friendly production processes and use these certifications on product packaging and marketing materials.

Make Room for Every Shade of Green with Education and Awareness Campaigns

Education and awareness campaigns aim to inform consumers about environmental sustainability and encourage them to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors. Such campaigns are an important tool for brands to demonstrate their environmental responsibility and build stronger connections with consumers. For example, an electronics company can raise consumer awareness by sharing educational videos and informative content about energy efficiency.

Advertising

Patagonia: Have You Heard About the 'Don't Buy This Jacket' Campaign?

Outdoor clothing brand Patagonia launched the 'Don't Buy This Jacket' campaign during Black Friday in 2011. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about over-consumption and environmental impact. Patagonia asked consumers to repair and reuse their existing clothing instead of buying a new jacket. The campaign demonstrated the brand's commitment to environmental responsibility and garnered significant attention.

In conclusion…

Green technologies and sustainable marketing allow brands to fulfill their environmental responsibilities and establish stronger bonds with consumers. Campaigns that reduce carbon footprints support environmental sustainability and increase brands’ reputation and customer loyalty. Sustainable marketing strategies such as carbon neutral products and services, green product certificates, education and awareness campaigns enable brands to establish deeper and more meaningful bonds with consumers by demonstrating their environmental responsibilities. In this context, it should not be overlooked that green technologies and sustainable marketing will provide long-term benefits to both the environment and businesses, and brands should add shades of green to their marketing cards as soon as possible!

About Inomist Communication Consultancy

In line with innovations in the field of communication, Inomist Communication Consultancy plans and implements Innovative Media and Communication Strategies in order to develop the brand value and corporate reputation of institutions and to increase their competitive power and awareness. It sees the institutions and individuals it works with as “fellow travelers” rather than customers and acts with team spirit together with them. While creating communication targets and strategies parallel to the business goals of institutions, it offers innovative and realistic, planned and fast solutions in line with the values ​​of the institution and society. The agency, which moves forward with a holistic communication approach, includes; brand communication, media relations management, subject and agenda management, marketing communication, leader communication, risk management and crisis communication, corporate social responsibility communication, sponsorship communication, in-house communication, content marketing, social media account management and digital marketing.

Source: HORECA TREND and Inomist Communication Consultancy

Advertising

Read more

Environment

Enerjisa Energy Brings Commercial Advantage to Its Customers with Eco-Friendly Green Energy

Continuing its efforts to contribute to a smarter and greener world by placing sustainability at the center of its strategy and focusing on people and technology, Enerjisa Enerji introduced green energy to more than 1 sectors with a 400 percent increase in 30 year.

It was published

on

Enerjisa Enerji, the leading electricity distribution, retail sales and customer solutions company that pioneers Turkey’s energy transformation with the vision of ‘A better future for everyone’, has transferred its internationally valid green energy certification process to robotic automation. With this innovative and environmentally friendly approach that supports digitalization in business processes, Enerjisa Enerji automatically sends monthly redemption documents indicating the renewable energy ratio of its consumption to all customers to whom green energy is sold, with the help of robots, and as in many other areas, it uses technology for the benefit of nature and its customers in this area as well.

Green Energy to 1 Sectors with a 400 Percent Increase in 30 Year 

Enerjisa Energy, 2023 - 2024 years, it achieved great success by increasing its green energy sales by 400 percent. As of the end of 2023, 2.671 GWh of electricity consumption of the enterprises in its portfolio has been certified with Green Energy. With this certification, approximately 1.2 million tons of carbon emissions will be prevented, making a significant contribution to the protection of nature. For Enerjisa Enerji's Free Consumer portfolio, 3.608 GWh of volume was supplied entirely from renewable resources. It is aimed for this volume to reach 2024 GWh by the end of 14 with a 4.100% increase. This great success shown in green energy redemptions strengthens Enerjisa Enerji's leadership in the sector with its sustainability-focused studies, while also supporting its claim to contribute to Turkey's energy transformation and net zero carbon commitment. Public, food, textile and tourism, etc. By offering end-to-end solutions with green energy applications to over 30 sectors so far, including sectors such as; converting electrical energy usage into green energy, while also reducing carbon emissions and taking firm steps towards a better future.

The 2023 GWh of consumption that Enerjisa Enerji converted to green by the end of 6.279 is equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 4.2 million homes.

Green Energy Certification Provides Trade Advantage

Companies that commit to providing their electricity consumption from renewable energy sources and converting their electricity consumption to green according to the certificate type with the most suitable solution from Enerjisa for their needs gain many advantages thanks to this internationally valid application. In addition to contributing to the sustainability goals of both their own institutions and Turkey thanks to this environmentally friendly solution, companies exporting to European countries in particular gain important opportunities. It is also expected that companies exporting to European Union countries will become obligatory for many sectors to obtain this certificate. Enerjisa aims to provide maximum benefit by offering its customers consumption analysis, determination of green energy rate, certificate type selection, protocol signing and reporting services depending on the certificate type as a whole.

Advertising

 We Believe Green Energy Plays a Key Role for Exporting Companies

Enerjisa Retail Sales Companies General Manager Ersin Esentürk, “The energy sector has great responsibilities in order to overcome the climate crisis, which is the most important agenda item in the world. With renewable energy investments surpassing fossil fuel investments, a hopeful atmosphere has been created for our world and future generations. In this regard, as Turkey, we have proven our claim and determination once again by rising to 11th place in renewable energy installed capacity.

We expect significant legal regulations to be made in the near future for our companies that meet the green energy certificate and export abroad, especially to the European Union countries, in terms of access to credits, namely green funds, whose prerequisite is green energy. Within the scope of this application, where we offer our customers consumption analysis, determination of green energy rate, certificate type selection, protocol signing and reporting services depending on the certificate type as a whole, our aim is to contribute to cleaner, more efficient energy in Turkey for future generations and a better future for everyone while reaching these figures. We provide our customers with a faster and more environmentally friendly service by moving the Green Energy redemption process to robotic automation. We closely follow the developments in the international arena and the sector in our Green Energy applications. We believe that green energy plays a key role for companies that export. We will continue to diversify and develop our product and service range in order to offer the most suitable solutions for our customers' needs.

About Solutions and Products within the Scope of 'Green Energy'

Enerjisa Enerji provides its customers with green energy produced from renewable energy sources, certified by internationally accredited organizations and transparently reported in order to protect nature and future generations. By offering different green energy certification solutions for the needs of its customers, greenhouse gas emissions originating from electricity consumption of facilities are reduced or brought to neutral levels. In this context, Enerjisa offers consumption analysis, determination of green energy rate, certificate selection, protocol signing and reporting services depending on the certificate type. With the Green Energy Certificate, businesses meet the sustainability demands of their customers and also get one step closer to their own sustainability goals.

 About Enerjisa Enerji 

Pioneering Turkey’s energy transformation by using the multiplier effect of sustainability and technology with the vision of ‘A better future for everyone’, Enerjisa Enerji provides service to 25 percent of Turkey in its main business lines of electricity distribution and retail sales. The largest player in the sector, Enerjisa Enerji reaches 14 million customers in 10.8 provinces and provides electricity distribution service to over 22 million users. Enerjisa Enerji offers alternative corporate solutions to its customers with green energy and free consumer tariffs, while also offering renewable energy and efficiency solutions with the İşimin Enerjisi brand. Enerjisa Enerji operates Turkey’s first and fastest charging station network with Eşarj, whose shares are fully owned. 20 percent of Enerjisa Enerji’s shares, whose main shareholders are Sabancı Holding and E.ON, are publicly traded on Borsa İstanbul.

Advertising

Source: HORECA TREND and Enerjisa Energy

Read more

Environment

Production in the Field and Purchase in the Market Becomes Difficult 

The crisis in agricultural production is deepening due to the climate crisis and increasing costs. Products whose production costs are not met remain in the field. Drought and irregular rainfall increase product losses. High prices reflected on the consumer prevent access to food. Urgent and holistic solutions are needed for the sustainability of agriculture and food security.

It was published

on

The summer of 2024 has made the difficulties faced by farmers and the agricultural sector in Turkey more visible. Farmers all over the country have tried to make their voices heard through protests; Apricot producers in Malatya, tomato growers in Balıkesir, sunflower producers in Tekirdağ, pepper and tomato producers in Kahramanmaraş have blocked the roads with their tractors due to prices below their costs and tried to make their voices heard through protests. As a result of the depletion of water resources in Çukurova, farmers were sent an official letter, telling them not to plant in the fall. it was said. On the other hand, the gap between the price of agricultural products at farmers' prices and at the market has widened: Last fall, producers were uprooting their trees with excavators because not even 1 lira was paid for a kilo of lemon on the branch, while in the summer months, lemons cost 100 lira per kilo in the grocery store and market. found.

With the problems experienced, the number of farmers is decreasing and the areas where agricultural production is carried out are shrinking day by day. In 2011, the agricultural sector accounted for XNUMX% of total employment.While creating 24,8% This rate will increase in June 2024 dropped to 14,7%While total employment has increased by 2011 million since 9, the number of people working in the agricultural sector has decreased by 1 million, falling to 4 million 801 thousand. Agricultural areas, which were 2002 million 26 thousand hectares in 579, will increase to 2010 million 24 thousand hectares in 394 and 2023 million 23 thousand hectares in 971. fell.

As the population continues to increase, the decrease in employment in agriculture and agricultural production areas is causing the food security problem to deepen. Agricultural economist Dr. Fatih Özden states that “from a developmental perspective, although the decrease in the population working in agriculture is expected as a result of the economic development of countries, when we look at the historical process, this process, which progresses with economic development, is often experienced with force and accompanied by socio-economic pain and difficulties.”

Dr. Özden states that agricultural lands are being expropriated, and more recently, taken out of agriculture through urgent expropriation decisions or reserve area declarations, which are frequently observed in earthquake zones, due to reasons such as urbanization and industrial investments, especially energy, and adds:

“With the Metropolitan Municipality Law that went into effect in 2013, villages turning into neighborhoods increased the rent pressure on agricultural lands. As agricultural lands became easier to convert into plots, land prices increased dramatically. This situation inevitably leads many farmers to sell lands to earn income that they would not have been able to earn for decades in return for their labor. As a result of all this, Turkey has lost 2002 million hectares of agricultural lands since 2,6 and continues to lose. In addition to this loss in quantity, there is also a loss of quality in agricultural lands due to industrial agricultural practices based on excessive chemical use. For example, approximately half of the total pesticides used in Turkey are used in the 10 provinces where agricultural production activities are most intensive. When we include factors such as climate change and erosion, the picture regarding the loss of agricultural lands becomes even darker.”

Farmers Cannot Afford Costs

Advertising

The increase in inflation, which is the reason for farmer protests as well as land losses, shows that the situation is unsustainable for both producers and consumers. While the costs of basic inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and fuel are constantly increasing, the income the farmer earns cannot cover these costs. For this reason, the farmer begins to resent his land and eventually gives up on agriculture!

Rising prices, also influenced by intermediaries, are causing consumers to suffer. According to Dr. Fatih Özden, the primary reason for farmers’ purchasing prices not covering their costs and the resulting losses is “the disconnection of product prices from costs and pricing being determined more based on world prices.” This situation may be a sign of a food crisis for Turkey in the coming years.

Dr. Fatih Özden says that as a result of farmers leaving agriculture, companies have started to fill this gap today: “We see that capital, which was incorporated into agriculture in the input supply or product processing stages, especially until the end of the 90s, is now directly involved in production processes or indirectly involved in practices such as contract farming. However, as is the case all over the world, the guarantor of food security in our country is the farmers who traditionally inherited this business from their families, and it is not fair for these farmers to be put in such a competitive environment with companies.”

Climate Crisis Deepens Food Crisis

Another challenge for farmers to continue production is the climate crisis. The main negative impact of the climate crisis in Turkey is drought. This summer, as water has decreased in Çukurova, one of the most fertile plains in Turkey, the Seyhan Left Bank Irrigation Union sent a letter to the village headmen and relevant units asking them not to do any autumn planting and that no water would be provided if it was done. reported.

Along with drought, irregular and excessive rainfall also negatively affects agricultural production. Irregular rainfall and sudden temperature fluctuations in particular cause losses in production. Analyses conducted within the scope of the Climate-Friendly Farms project, jointly conducted by the Buğday Ecological Life Support Association and Köy-Koop İzmir, reveal that seasonal fluctuations cause serious product losses, and that there is an increase in pests in agricultural areas, especially due to the warmer than normal winter months. Arzu Balkuv, one of the project consultants, says, “It is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with pests, and we see that moths can destroy all tomatoes in three days.” Organic agriculture producer Şaban Burhan also emphasizes the negative effects of the decrease in snowfall, especially drought, and says that while conventional tomato producers in the Karacabey plain normally get 10-18 tons of product, this summer they have stayed at 5-6 tons.

Solution: Transition to Agroecological Methods

Advertising

In order to produce solutions to existing problems, economic, ecological and social policies need to be re-evaluated with a holistic approach. Climate-friendly agricultural policies, agroecological production, local production and consumption models, farmers' organization, solidarity economies and gender equality-based approaches should be implemented to ensure the sustainability of agriculture.

In order to adapt to climate change, agriculture methods compatible with nature play a critical role. A transition to agroecological, restorative methods is needed for agricultural production that is more resistant to drought, diseases and changing climate conditions.

Regenerative farming methods enrich the soil, increase its water holding capacity, and therefore make plants resistant to drought, diseases and pests. Reducing inputs reduces costs, which is reflected in farmers’ income. Local producer markets, food communities, consumer cooperatives, and Community Supported Agriculture methods facilitate both farmers’ access to markets and consumers’ access to healthy food. We need to promote ecological, healthy, fair and sustainable farming practices by providing farmers with regenerative farming training and support for marketing their products.

Local production and consumption models that focus on small farmers, rural workers and consumers instead of companies and directly include them in the control processes of the agri-food system should be urgently implemented.

Agricultural lands must be protected in both quantity and quality. A fair property relationship must be established on these lands. Instead of chemicals that make the soil lifeless and prone to erosion, the quality of agricultural lands must be protected by switching to nature-friendly, restorative agroecological production methods.

As Buğday Association, we provide training to farmers on sustainable, regenerative agriculture methods with the systems, models and projects we carry out all around Turkey, create models for them to find markets for their products, carry out “productive” trainings with the awareness that healthy production can only be maintained by establishing a producer-consumer bond, and run an ecological farm visit program.

Source: HORECA TREND and Wheat Ecological Life Support Association

Advertising

Read more
Advertising
Advertising

Popular News

Copyright © 2024 Orbis Media Information and Communication Technologies Ltd. Sti. All rights reserved. All rights of news, articles and content on our website are reserved.
Legal action will be taken in case of unauthorized use of our content.