To reduce wastage of edible fresh produce, Andrew Dana Wesley, 31, and Lye Kok Shiuh, 28, decided to set up Pasar Grub in November 2019, with the goal of making surplus food accessible and affordable to all.

“Food waste has been a major source of waste in Malaysia, accounting for about 50% of the content of our landfills,” says Andrew, who has experience in the field of waste management.

“A lot of edible food gets rejected because of their appearance,” he tells FMT, pointing out that the country has almost run out of landfills.

Pasar Grub purchases surplus produce from local farmers and small distributors, and reallocates the food back to the community through several ways.

“We set up morning markets at People’s Housing Projects and sell to B40 communities at prices below the market rate,” says Lye.

They also sell the produce to F&B outlets and collaborate with corporations on CSR projects. “They buy the food from us and we channel the food for free to communities in need,” Lye adds.

Pasar Grub usually runs weekly morning markets at eight locations around the Klang Valley, with the help of volunteers and market staff hired from B40 communities.

It has thus far salvaged more than 25,000kg of produce – the equivalent of RM350,000 – and in the process has impacted more than 4,000 low-income households.

“This translates to a reduction of 100,000kg of carbon dioxide from our carbon footprint,” Andrew says.

‘Hidden hunger’

The markets have temporarily been discontinued because of the pandemic, and Pasar Grub has shifted its focus to food aid distribution, in collaboration with various groups.

“Malaysians have good hearts. We get a lot of support with our distribution of food aid,” says Andrew, adding that this has made a huge impact on those who are badly affected by the various lockdowns.

They hope, however, that people will consider donating fresh fruits and vegetables instead of foods that contain little nutrition.

“We need to be aware of ‘hidden hunger’, especially when it comes to food aid,” Lye says, referring to items that are low in nutrients, such as overly processed products and those high in sugar.

Furthermore, as most of the farms are located outside of the Klang Valley, there have been challenges in logistics due to movement restrictions, which in turn has affected the price and availability of produce.

Andrew and Lye have numerous plans for the future. They would like to venture into waste recovery by repurposing refuse into products like organic compost and biodiesel.

“We’d also like to support entrepreneurs among low-income communities by assisting them in setting up markets, as well as connecting them to agencies that can provide financial assistance,” says Andrew.

They are open to expanding their operations beyond the Klang Valley, and are interested in collaborating with relevant parties towards this goal.

Ultimately, the pair hope to boost food security by decentralising farming and working towards a “circular ecosystem”, where surplus food is recycled and redistributed.

App and awareness

In the meantime, Andrew and Lye are looking forward to a new Pasar Grub app that will be launched in the middle of next month.

Users will be able to order fresh produce, buy produce packages for communities, and track their commitment to sustainability through the app, which can also be used for food waste collection.

And the duo aim to create more awareness on sustainability by partnering with organisations that have similar goals and engaging with F&B outlets on how to repurpose surplus food.

The pair are encouraged by the change they have seen, especially in urban areas, though there is still more work to be done. Andrew and Lye strongly encourage people to buy local produce, especially those that are in season.

“Imported food has higher carbon footprints, not to mention the considerable amount of spoilage that occurs during transportation,” says Lye.

“We hope people will share our story, talk to us and connect us with communities in need,” Andrew adds. “It’s still a challenge for us when it comes to educating the public that fresh produce is edible regardless of the form it takes.

“At the end of the day, don’t judge a fruit or vegetable by its appearance. The odd-looking ones are just as good and nutritious.”

For more information on Pasar Grub’s initiatives, check out its website and follow it on Instagram and Facebook.