EU Food Loss and Waste Prevention Hub

The Fit for Future Platform has acknowledged the issues raised by the legislation concerned as follows:

Food donation, that is recovery and redistribution of surplus food from the food supply chain, not only helps to reduce food waste but also to provide social support to the most in need.

Taking into account the suggestions gathered through the consultative process as well as the recommendations delivered by the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste, and by the mapping and analysis of existing regulatory and policy measures impacting food redistribution from EU Member States (2020), the Platform recognizes the relevance of the economic constraints and possible conflict with other financial schemes (i.e. incentives for renewables promotion) as among the most important obstacles in ensuring the wide spreading of food donation as a preferable choice for surplus food.

The Platform recognizes the opportunities offered by better integrating EU and national funds aimed at ensuring social security so that they act as mutual multipliers.
The Platform believes that the withdrawal of agricultural products for economic reasons could lead to financial food speculation and it should be prevented as much as possible. However, should those measure be taken, withdrawn products should be used for food redistribution and transformation for later food donation.

On the EU legislative side, the Platform is of the opinion that better integration and definition of food use hierarchy in some relevant European laws could help smooth the way towards an increase in food donation.

Considering the relevance of packaging in food preservation, in particular in the light of food donation area, the Platform considers it important to support the research for safe and sustainable food preservation materials that will not cause over packaging and be reusable and/or recyclable.