72 | FORBES INDONESIA AUGUST 2017
PHILANTHROPY
FOOD FOR THE TABLE, NOT THE TRASH
Nichol Ng 39
Nicholas Ng 37
MANAGING DIRECTORS,
FOODXERVICES
Coming from a family business that has
been distributing food to restaurants,
hotels and supermarkets in Singapore for
more than 80 years, the sister and broth-er have been frontline observers of food
wastage. “We’ve seen it at the receiving
gates, where vegetables and fruits are
being sifted out according to their sizes.
The sizes that are too big or too small
are rejected,” says Nichol, who estimates
that 785,500 tons of food are wasted ev-
ery day in Singapore. “There are hungrypeople in Singapore; it’s just that it’s a
topic that nobody talks about. Putting the
two together, hungry people and excess
food—can we do something about it?”
In 2012, Nichol and Nicholas tapped
their personal funds and, using ware-
house space from their business, started
the Food Bank. It’s a nonprofit that col-SINGAPORE