When talking about solutions for sustainable food production, there are several factors that need to be considered, which are the interrelatedness between food and agriculture, health and nutrition, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic factors. This complexity is making it difficult to know exactly where to begin. For that reason, on October 31, 2017, Avani was given an opportunity to share solutions for the issue in front of 500 leading international and regional politicians, scientists, business executives, innovators, activists, and chefs at the first EAT Asia-Pacific Food Forum.

Kevin Kumala, the chief green officer of Avani Eco explained that a practical solution that can be implemented to address health and environmental challenges concerning food is through single-use packaging. Up to this time, there has not been any research that concludes exactly the amount of time it takes for a Styrofoam to fully decompose, however research has shown that Styrofoam produces toxins linked to cancer.

Therefore, Avani presented an alternative solution that could save both the environment and human health through an FDA approved bio-box made of bagasse that could decompose in 180 days. Moreover, Avani also provided other environmentally friendly products, such as straws and cups made of cornstarch and paper, and also bio-cutlery.

From Kevin’s 7 minutes presentation, Avani hoped that all the participants coming from various countries in Asia-Pacific could now understand that tangible solutions for the environmental issue are here already and they can be implemented directly for a cleaner and greener Asia-Pacific.