Best before? An Exploratory Study on Food Waste in Singapore

Abstract

Food waste has been gaining traction in recent years. 2018 is designated as the Year of Climate Action in Singapore, where it aims to build and improve its resilience against climate change, diversifying water pply and increasing food security. Thus, it is important to review our existing measures and question its premises in order to measure its effectiveness. This thesis scrutinises domestic household practices in the production of food waste, which according to the National Environment Agency, more than half the amount thrown away by households can be prevented (NEA 2017d). In this qualitative study, I argue that the production of food waste in households should be viewed in relation to their consumption practices surrounding food, recognising the systemic influences that causes one to waste food, considering that consumers do not set out to waste food at the point of purchase. Sensory interactions and visceral experiences are important in judging the edibility of food and how people deal with food. Various conduits of disposal suggest that waste is not an intrinsic quality, but an act of placing, in which spatiotemportal arrangements will be explored. Following, class and gender influences in the production of food waste will also be enunciated. I then turn to the analysis food waste management in Singapore to uncover pragmatism as an ideology which grounds its practices. Viewing food waste through the lens of the household and governing body, it suggests that existing practices are necessary but insufficient to reduce food waste in the long run.