Editor’s choice
Editor’s choice
part of Environment and policy in Asia
In this first episode of the SEI Asia miniseries on optimizing urban food systems resilience, we talk with Louis Alban on how their food delivery model works to absorb urban food surplus through using a mobile app.
Kuntum (00:00:32–00:01:07):
Welcome everyone to SEI Podcast Series on Optimizing Urban Food Resilience. I’m Kuntum Melati from Stockholm Environment Institute Asia. This is the first episode of a series of podcast episodes on promoting circularity approaches in food systems. Adopting circularity means we aim to transform our food systems to become more regenerative, to mimic nature, be resilient and sustainable through resource efficiency strategies, and tackle climate change through waste reduction.
Kuntum (00:01:08–00:01:44):
For today’s episode, we will discuss innovative action in fighting food loss. We are joined by food waste fighter Louis Alban, who started a food surplus delivery app called “Yindii” in Thailand. Louis and his team were concerned that, despite Thailand being a world-renowned food destination, the food waste problem is rising—with over 17 million tons thrown away every year. Perfectly edible food is discarded daily because bakeries and grocery stores can’t sell everything before closing.
Kuntum (00:01:45–00:02:14):
It’s not only wasteful when so many go hungry—it’s also damaging to the environment. So they created Yindii, an app that connects Bangkok restaurants and cafes with surplus to consumers at up to 80% off. It reduces waste, provides extra revenue for sellers, and offers bargain meals for consumers. A win-win situation.
Kuntum (00:02:15–00:02:25):
Welcome Louis to our podcast. I mentioned Yindii briefly—could you tell us what inspired you to start it and how you made it happen?
Louis (00:02:26–00:02:43):
Thank you for inviting me and for highlighting this massive problem. Two years ago during COVID, I volunteered at a food bank in Bangkok that redistributed food to those in need. It opened my eyes to the scale of food waste.
Louis (00:02:44–00:03:05):
I started researching and realized the problem was bigger than I thought. Around 40% of global food production is wasted. Every day, food retailers throw away perfectly good food worth billions because it’s no longer sellable.
Louis (00:03:06–00:03:25):
Meanwhile, food is becoming more expensive. Prices are hitting records, which is terrible. And when you throw away food, you also waste water, energy, and other resources. Food waste contributes to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Louis (00:03:26–00:03:58):
That’s about four times more than the airline industry. So I created Yindii—a platform connecting consumers to restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels with daily surplus food sold at a discount. It helps businesses improve their bottom line while giving people access to quality food. Together, we’re making the world better.
Louis (00:03:59–00:04:13):
Our slogan is “save food, save money, save the planet.” We started two years ago with a simple website. Within months, thousands signed up just by word of mouth.
Louis (00:04:14–00:04:44):
We were featured in the Bangkok Post after four months. Now, around 80,000 people have downloaded the app. We’ve onboarded top brands like Gourmet Market, Big C, Centara, Marriott, Texas Chicken, S&P, and small businesses like Sunshine Market, Paris Mikki, and Drop by Dough.
Louis (00:04:45–00:04:52):
This is a sustainable revolution in Thailand’s food industry. We’re proud of it—and it’s just the beginning.
Kuntum (00:04:53–00:05:22):
Thanks, Louis. It’s really remarkable what you’re doing. It’s interesting that you targeted restaurants and cafes for the app, linking them directly with consumers. According to a high-level report on food security and nutrition, food services like hotels, restaurants, canteens, and catering play a double role in waste reduction: first, by reducing their own waste, and second, by raising consumer awareness. From what you’ve shared, it seems like Yindii is doing both. Based on your experience, what are the biggest challenges to promoting sustainable food consumption, and how have you overcome them?
Louis (00:05:23–00:06:16):
You’re absolutely right. Yindii’s first mission is to empower people to fight food waste, but to do that, they need to understand its impact. In Southeast Asia, awareness is still low. Take Thailand—it’s historically a country of abundance, so people don’t think of food as limited. That mindset leads to ordering or wasting more food without thinking of the consequences. In France, where I’m from, it’s different. Our grandparents lived through food shortages during World War II. Food was rationed, and every piece of bread mattered. That experience was passed down, along with education and awareness campaigns about global hunger.
Louis (00:06:17–00:06:54):
So in Thailand, what’s needed is strong communication and awareness. Yindii combines sustainability with affordability, which is very attractive—people in Thailand love discounts. The discount acts as a teaser—it draws users in, and then they learn about food waste. Many love the purpose of the app and tell friends, family, and colleagues. That spreads awareness organically.
Louis (00:06:55–00:07:49):
Through this, more people become aware of food waste. Everyone talks about plastic waste in Thailand, which is important, but if you look at the trash, 60–70% is actually food. It’s a huge issue that needs attention. On top of the app, we’re also working on raising awareness with larger organizations and government. We’ve launched the Yindii Awareness Program with coworking spaces, schools, and companies to further that goal.
Louis (00:07:50–00:08:15):
We’ve partnered with companies like Sansiri, Thai Union, Pomelo, and Agoda. We’ve held events like surplus breakfasts, where hotel surplus food is brought in to show employees that it’s perfectly good and worth saving. We also organize food waste tours and other awareness activities.
Louis (00:08:16–00:09:00):
The goal is to be inclusive—to involve all stakeholders. Food waste isn’t just a problem at the retail level. It happens across the supply chain—from farm to table, and even at home. In fact, 40% of food waste occurs after it reaches people’s homes. So tackling this issue requires action at every level.
Kuntum (00:09:01–00:09:32):
Thank you, those are really great strategies. We know it’s not easy being a food waste fighter, but clearly, you and Yindii are doing amazing work. So, what advice would you give our listeners on how they can take small but meaningful actions to reduce food waste and help change the food system?
Louis (00:09:33–00:10:18):
I think it’s a fun journey. Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves—and food waste is a problem where everyone can make a difference. Whether you’re a consumer or working in the food business, you can take action. For shoppers, the first tip is to check your fridge before going to the supermarket—only buy what you need.
Louis (00:10:19–00:10:57):
Planning your meals in advance helps avoid impulse purchases. Stick to your shopping list. Also, don’t shop when you’re hungry—you’ll end up buying more, often unhealthy things. Another tip is to be smarter than marketing. Offers like “Buy 2, get 1 free” are tempting, but can lead to overbuying. You might think you’re saving money, but you often waste more food.
Louis (00:11:14–00:11:34):
At home, fighting food waste can be creative and fun. Use surplus food to invent new recipes. For example, if you have hard baguette left over, don’t throw it away—you can turn it into a dessert called pain perdu, or “lost bread,” which is like a sweet pancake. There are plenty of apps and websites with surplus recipe ideas—just try them out.
Louis (00:11:56–00:12:27):
Have leftover noodles, fruit, or vegetables? Look up recipes online. The key is to take small steps. Start with something simple—you don’t have to be perfect right away. Yindii is often people’s first step on a zero-waste journey, and once you start, you won’t want to stop. You’ve become a food waste fighter, and then you may want to learn even more.
Louis (00:12:28–00:13:27):
We also share recipes and food-saving tips on social media. Many are super practical and save money—for instance, if you buy lettuce or carrots, don’t throw away the roots. Put them in water and they’ll start growing again. Plant them and you get free salad or carrots. It’s satisfying to do it yourself and know it matters.
Louis (00:13:28–00:13:52):
Finally, if you care about this mission—spread it! Talk to your friends, your family, your colleagues. Share what you’re doing on social media. Passion is contagious. If enough people care, that’s how we start a movement.
Kuntum (00:13:52–slut):
Thank you, Louis. These are such great, practical tips. I think we’re all already on the journey—because we all love food and depend on it. Whether we like it or not, we must reduce food loss and waste. Thank you for your time and for joining us. And thank you to everyone for listening. Stay tuned for the next episode in our series. See you next time—and have a great day!
Roughly about one-third of food produced globally is never consumed but goes to waste even as millions of people face malnourishment. A large proportion of this food waste comes from the food and hospitality industries.
In this podcast episode, our guest Louis Alban, the co-founder of Yindii, discusses how the food and hospitality industries can minimize food loss and waste.
Yindii is a food surplus delivery app that connects restaurants, cafés and hotels in Bangkok with consumers at a highly discounted price of up to 80% off the normal price. Yindii could be a circular model for improving our food systems while reducing carbon footprint from food loss and waste, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.
We explore how Yindii’s model works to absorb the food surplus through their mobile app.
Louis Alban
co-founder
Below is an extract from the miniseries on optimizing urban food systems resilience. The podcasts are part of our work with the Think20 (T20), the official engagement group of the Group of Twenty (G20) for think tanks and academics.
We waste foods every day without even realising it. Food waste comes in various forms, such as the leftover grains, deformed fruits, and hard-to-chew yet edible breads. However, tacking food waste is not necessarily about wasting no foods at all. Rather, it is about being mindful of our foods and minimising the waste as much as possible.
In addition to the “how” part of food waste minimization, most of us also lack awareness about what constitutes food loss and waste. When it comes to food loss and waste, most people only consider the final product without knowing what it takes to bring the food to the table.
As Louis points out, “when you throw away foods you also throw away resources like water, gas, electricity with the foods.”
Therefore, he wants to “empower people to fight food waste but the first point is you need to know more about the impacts of food loss before tackling it.” Awareness raising is key to solving food waste problems as it will shift people’s perceptions of what food waste is.
And yet, challenges remain. Even if people have a good understanding about efficient food systems, often the available solutions to sustainable consumption and food systems come at a price.
Yindii’s appealing solution is to connect the food surplus from the food and hospitality industries directly to the consumers.
Yindii’s secret to do that is actually very attractive because we are matching sustainability with affordability…. Discount comes in the Yindii app as the teaser or as an incentive to get people on board and also to talk about various issues.
Louis Alban
With this solution, the food retailers and hospitality players in Thailand can reduce their food waste while allowing consumers to get good quality foods at discounted prices.
“At home, fighting food waste can also be really fun. It is about being creative with the food surplus food that you have, you can learn recipes, you can invent new ones,” said Louis.
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