Description
European Parliament warned in Resolution (2011/2175(INI) that unless active intervention measures are applied the food waste will rise by 40 per cent by 2020 and amount to 126 million tonnes per year in EU. Project aims at fostering active citizenship through mobilizing local communities for raising public awareness of food waste. It also aims to help NGOs to find efficient solutions on reducing food waste, increasing surplus food collection and delivering to those in need. “Food Bank” shall create a virtual map of surplus food and advocate it through 10 regional meetings with decision-makers as well as complimentary workshops on fighting the food waste at local level. Legislative initiatives on food waste reduction shall be developed and advocated. The documentary on food waste in Lithuania will be created and aired on national TV stations and demonstrated in high schools. Finally, 10 mobile exhibitions on food waste will be organised all over the country. Target groups: decision makers in food industry, retail and catering sectors, national and local government, children, youth and society at large. Beneficiaries: NGOs, vulnerable groups in need of food aid.
Summary of project results
In 2011 European Commission announced that over 89 million tons of food is wasted every year (approx. 179 kg per person). Increasingly more (up to 50%) good quality and edible food is wasted in food production chain. Waste of food causes ethical, economic, social and nutrition consequences, as well as does impact on human health and environment – piles of food waste produce methane gas which affect the emission green house gas 21 times more than carbon dioxide. The effect extends way beyond that – a lot of fresh water is wasted to produce the food that is later wasted. In 2012 European Parliament adopted a resolution (2011/2175(INI)) stating that immediate actions must be taken in order to reduce the food waste at least by half by 2025. Some of the measures envisaged to achieve this goal are raising awareness of the scale of food waste, effect on environment and farming, fostering intolerance towards food waste, strengthening networks of NGOs involved in environmental issues, as well as those dealing with poverty reduction and care of socially disadvantaged people, so the food could be safely distributed to those in need in a timely manner. Project „Stop Food Waste in Lithuania!“ aimed at increasing Lithuanian public awareness regarding food waste and helped NGOs with solutions enabling to reduce food waste and increase surplus food recovery and delivering for the needy. During this project the surplus food virtual map was created, 10 regional decision-makers meetings complimentary workshops had been arranged, the National congress against the food waste had been organized, set of legal and administrative measures fighting the food waste had been provided to national legislators, documentary movie on food waste in Lithuania was made and broadcasted, 10 mobile exhibitions organized. The impact of this project shall be visible beyond the project because the project promoter is very visible throughout the country and is now associated not only with food distribution to poor members of the society, but as an environmentally sensitive organization. This attracts more fans and followers as well as volunteers for the organization which extends the effect of awareness raising efforts.
Summary of bilateral results