Want to learn how to eat and cook sustainably? A new Singapore campaign is here to help

With most of us lucky enough to be spoilt for choice when it comes deciding what to eat every day, the many significant environmental costs that comes with our gastronomic decisions may not be as obvious.

Which is why Singapore investment company Temasek is focussing on food sustainability and local food resilience with a month-long campaign to highlight how our food choices impact the environment.

Called #ARecipeForChange and presented by one of Temasek’s key platforms Ecosperity, the campaign aims to focus on three main themes: Avoid food waste, buy local produce and choose alternative proteins.

The recently unveiled Singapore Green Plan has reinforced the significant role that our food has in building up the country’s climate resilience. And to ensure food security and minimise emissions from the transportation of food, reports show that Singapore aims to produce 30 per cent of the country’s nutritional needs by 2030, which must be met with an increase in consumer demand.

According to the National Environment Agency, Singapore’s food waste has grown by 20 per cent over the last 10 years and thus putting a strain on resources and landfills. The #ARecipeForChange campaign hopes to get consumers in Singapore to be more aware of and actively reduce the environmental impact of their food consumption habits.

As such, the campaign offers an extensive program line-up to encourage the public to do just that.

From now till Mar 31, exclusive sustainable dishes will be specially curated and served up at over 30 F&B establishments across 100 outlets. Patrons can look forward to local restaurants’ sustainable take on customer favourites and seasonal specials alike – such as Jamie’s Italian’s steak and mash, Encik Tan’s signature curry rice with plant-based schnitzel and Poke Theory’s sambal matah barramundi poke.

There’s also a cooking video competition on Instagram to encourage people to explore ways to incorporate more environmentally friendly ingredients in their cooking. Participants who upload a short video showcasing how they incorporate potential food waste, local produce and alternative proteins in their homecooked dish will a chance to win a meal worth S$500 at laut, one of the partner restaurants for the campaign. The competition will run throughout the month of March.

For those looking for hands-on inspiration, there will be a bevy of live cooking demonstrations with some of the leading names in the local F&B scene – including chefs Eric Neo, Damien Piedrahita and Addis Tan – to learn how to prepare recipes that incorporate local produce, alternative proteins and 'food waste’ into dishes without compromising on flavour.

And to help support the use of local produce and alternative proteins, the campaign’s online supermarket partner RedMart will spotlight these food items in its app for the entire month of March. Users will enjoy S$5 off a minimum spend of S$20 for items found on #ARecipeForChange page on RedMart.

There are also hands-on workshops designed to inspire participants of all ages to incorporate sustainable food habits into their daily lives. These include workshops for children on decorating plant pots that can be used to grow their own edibles, as well as a virtual farm tour of Singapore’s first and only rooftop greenhouse that will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to grow healthy, pesticide-free greens in a controlled environment under natural sunlight.

All virtual activities are free of charge and will be hosted on Facebook Live or video conferencing platforms. Registration is required for activities hosted on video conferencing platforms and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Livestream links for activities hosted on Facebook will be made available on Ecosperity’s Facebook page, one week ahead of the respective activity date.

“As a generational investor and a trusted steward, we are committed to building a better and more sustainable world. Globally, food is responsible for over a quarter of GHG emissions which contributes to climate change. With COVID-19 disrupting global supply chains and further threatening food security, it is crucial that we accelerate the shift in how we produce and consume our food,” said Dr Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer at Temasek. “All of us – even individuals – have a role to play in creating #ARecipeForChange. There has never been more choice of tasty, affordable meals that are good for us, good for our families and good for the planet. We can choose a better future one plateful at a time. It is time for a sustainable food revolution.”

Visit www.ecosperity.sg/arecipeforchange to learn more.