It is with particular interest that we are participating today in the meeting of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste, and more specifically in the “food donation” working group, taking place in Brussels at the initiative of the European Commission.
The object of the specific working group is to examine “obstacles and opportunities” to facilitate further the donation of surplus foods aimed at preventing waste, of course under the strict condition that the safety of the food is safeguarded. At the center of our work are the questions concerning the existing legislation -at the EU and member states level- regarding donors’ and recipient charities’ obligations as far as safety, hygiene and food labeling, legal responsibility, and providing of -economic- incentives to encourage donations are concerned.
We will be delighted to bring to the discussions the experience of Boroume from our ongoing, daily “save & offer food” program in collaboration with donors all along the supply chain. Since 2012, over 100 million portions of food have already been offered all around Greece to charity organisations that support socially vulnerable groups in the population.
The further encouragement of food donation, as a policy measure with an exceptionally significant environmental and social impact, is also among the goals of the voluntary agreement coordinated by Boroume, “Alliance for the reduction of food waste” in Greece (foodsavingalliancegreece.gr). We are actively contributing to the formulation and implementation of public policy in Greece, the priority being to prevent food waste.