[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Food waste is an issue that affects the environment, society and the economy worldwide. In the United States, retailers waste USD 384 billion worth of food every year, while 45% of unsold stock remains perfectly edible.<\/p>\n
According to the data cited in our previous articles, in 2022 the European Union generated an estimated 59.2 million tonnes of food waste, with households accounting for 54% of the total.<\/p>\n
This figure clearly shows that the problem does not concern only the production and distribution chain. It also calls into question everyday behaviour, alongside the need for shared objectives and tools at European level.<\/p>\n
Looking at Italy, data from the 2025 Cross Country Report by Waste Watcher International show that Italy remains the European country with the highest level of domestic food waste per capita: 555 grams per week per person, compared with 459 grams in France and 446 grams in Spain. Since 2015, however, Italy has reduced food waste by almost 100 grams. This is a real improvement, although still not enough to meet the target set by the UN 2030 Agenda, which aims to bring waste down to 369.7 grams per week.<\/p>\n
Surplus is not waste<\/strong><\/p>\n The distinction between surplus and waste is not merely semantic.<\/p>\n Food is surplus when it can no longer be sold under ordinary conditions: because it is close to its expiry date, because the packaging is damaged, or because it has remained unsold, while still being fit for human consumption. It becomes waste only when no one intervenes in time.<\/p>\n It is precisely in this interval that the value of recovery lies: what has lost its commercial function may still have a social function.<\/p>\n The regulatory framework: donation is a protected act<\/strong><\/p>\n Italian legislation moves exactly in this direction. Law No. 166 of 19 August 2016, known as the \u201cGadda Law\u201d, introduced measures to encourage the donation and free distribution of food surplus for social solidarity purposes and to reduce waste.<\/p>\n The law simplified the bureaucratic procedures for donations and integrated the civil liability framework already introduced by the Good Samaritan Law, Law No. 155\/2003. In doing so, it reduced the practical and legal obstacles that had previously discouraged operators from donating surplus food.<\/p>\n At European level too, the principle is clear. The European Commission refers to a precise hierarchy: first prevention and, when this is not possible, redistribution for human consumption of food that is still safe and edible.<\/p>\n Food donation, therefore, is not a marginal or emergency solution. It is a practice consistent with a more advanced vision of sustainability, in which the protection of resources is closely connected with care for people.<\/p>\n The figures in Italy: food donation works<\/strong><\/p>\n The data show that where organised networks exist, the results are concrete.<\/p>\n In Milan, in 2025, the Food Aid Hub network recovered 1,057 tonnes of surplus food, redistributing more than two million equivalent meals to around 18,000 vulnerable families.<\/p>\n At national level, Banco Alimentare distributed 123,000 tonnes of food in 2025, of which more than 40% was saved from waste. It reached almost 1.8 million people in need through more than 7,600 partner organisations across the country.<\/p>\n The role of large-scale retail<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the past ten years, the recovery of surplus food from large-scale retail has almost quadrupled. According to Banco Alimentare, it increased from 4,500 tonnes in 2015 to almost 18,000 tonnes in 2025, with an 11% rise in the last year alone. This is a sign that food donation has ceased to be an exception and has become a structured practice.<\/p>\n Large-scale retail is the point in the supply chain where surplus is most visibly concentrated and where recovery opportunities are greatest. Italy\u2019s main retail chains have developed different approaches, all aimed at reducing what ends up in landfill.<\/p>\n In its 2024 Impact Report, Carrefour Italia reported a 55% reduction in food waste compared with 2016 and described operational tools such as anti-waste display areas, fruit and vegetable boxes and the \u201cLook Beyond the Date\u201d programme, which offers discounts of up to 70% on products that have passed their best-before date but are still safe.<\/p>\n Coop also offers a particularly significant example. Through its \u201cBuon Fine\u201d project, more than 4,813 tonnes of food were donated in 2024, rising to 4,900 tonnes in 2025. This is complemented by \u201cMangiami Subito\u201d, an initiative offering discounts of up to 50% on fresh products close to expiry.<\/p>\n Conad reported \u20ac10.7 million worth of food products recovered and donated in 2024. Esselunga stated that, together with its suppliers, it donated more than 2,100 tonnes of food, equivalent to over 4 million meals: a commitment rooted in the company\u2019s history and culture built by Giuseppe Caprotti.<\/p>\n European experiences: models to observe<\/strong><\/p>\n At European level, several significant experiences show how surplus food recovery can become effective policy.<\/p>\n In France, the fight against food waste is based on a particularly advanced regulatory framework. The Loi Garot establishes a clear hierarchy of actions, prioritises the donation of unsold food that is still fit for human consumption, and requires several operators in the supply chain to enter into agreements with authorised associations. This is supported by fiscal and operational tools that have helped make recovery more structured.<\/p>\n In Ireland, FoodCloud is an interesting case from both a logistical and digital perspective. In 2024, it redistributed 79 million meal equivalents, recovering 33,230 tonnes of surplus food across six countries.<\/p>\n In Portugal, the REFOOD model shows how proximity-based volunteer networks can also produce significant results. Today it operates through more than 60 local centres, recovering food and rapidly redistributing it to communities.<\/p>\n What you can do<\/strong><\/p>\n Reading about tonnes of recovered food and redistribution networks may seem distant from everyday life. But the food donation chain works only when someone, at every level, does their part.<\/p>\n If you are a consumer, the most concrete gesture is not to waste what you buy: plan your shopping, use what you already have in the fridge, and avoid throwing food away out of habit. To explore other aspects of the issue, you can read our articles on how to read food labels correctly and how to reduce waste in everyday habits.<\/p>\n If you are a teacher, a parent or simply someone who can influence others, talking about this issue \u2014 using accurate data and without alarmism \u2014 is already a contribution.<\/p>\n Food donation is the expression of a culture. Recognising that food carries with it work, resources, energy and relationships means understanding that saving it, when it is still possible, is an act of responsibility towards the community.<\/p>\n Below, from a LinkedIn post: some advice on how to manage your home refrigerator correctly.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”68600″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Food waste is an issue that affects the environment, society and the economy worldwide. 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