Food waste

To reduce the amount of food waste in Germany significantly is one aim of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). It has the objective to reach as many consumers as possible and reduce food waste with joint effort and a national strategy along the entire chain.

The BMEL fights food waste in a multitude of ways. The aim is to raise awareness and increase the appreciation of food along the entire chain, ranging from farming and processing all the way to the retail sector, the restaurant and catering sector, and consumers. If we are aware of the value of our food and of the consumption of resources that is necessary to produce the food, then we will not throw away food carelessly.

Overview of topics

National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s National Strategy for Food Waste Reduction, which was presented in February 2019, has the goal of introducing compulsory measures to make binding reductions in food waste from the farm all the way to the grocery store. The strategy to achieve this is being refined and developed.

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BMEL activities to combat food waste

Food waste is unacceptable from an ethical, ecological and economic standpoint. The Too good for the bin! Initiative has succeeded in recent years, through targeted, broadly disseminated information, to raise awareness of the value of our food and consequently to reduce waste.

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