SAGEF Established

Zero Waste and Recycling Awareness Association (SAGEF) Established The Zero Waste and Recycling Awareness Association (SAGEF) was established to reduce food loss and waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fight poverty, and increase productivity and economic growth. The founding president of the association, which has its headquarters in the Bahçelievler district of Istanbul, is Ekrem Altıntepe. SAGEF President Ekrem Altıntepe provided the following information about SAGEF's objectives in a written statement issued on the occasion of the association's establishment: "One of the biggest obstacles to addressing food loss and waste is failing to grasp the scale of the problem. Food that goes uneaten also represents a waste of resources such as soil, water, energy, seeds and other inputs used in its production, unnecessarily increasing greenhouse gas emissions. As SAGEF, we aim to make 'not wasting food' a personal responsibility. Each year, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally and 26 million tons in Turkey. Most vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products and bread are wasted in Turkey. As SAGEF, we will work to reduce food waste by achieving national and international targets. We aim to raise awareness among more segments of society and motivate action. We aim to increase public awareness by organizing campaigns, engaging media and social media, promoting debate and holding events to reduce food waste."