In Georgia, approximately 600,000 tons per year of food are wasted, with a large portion of it ending up on municipal landfills. A new project aims at changing that by providing legal incentives to businesses to donate food instead of discarding it and raising consumer awareness about how to consume better and wasteless.
On September 27, key players from Georgia’s HORECA industry (Hotel, Restaurant, and Cafes) gathered at Ninia’s Garden to host the first ‘Zero Waste Lunch’. The event was aimed at highlighting food waste and introducing Georgia’s pilot foodbank. This initiative, organized by the NGOs People in Need and Parki Ar Minda in Georgia in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Georgia, is part of a larger campaign entitled ‘Food Bank Georgia – Reducing Food Waste and Increasing Food Security’.
Food banks are non-profit institutions that provide food to families and individuals who cannot afford to buy enough to meet their nutritional requirements. The Georgian food bank initiative is based on successful long-term programs from Belgium and France. A study tour to these countries influenced the project’s design.
Salome Japaridze shared with GEORGIA Today details about the logistics behind the food bank initiative. “A central hub will be established in Tbilisi to accept and sort dry foods (tinned goods such as grains, oils, and tinned goods) before distributing them to regional warehouses. – classified as “low risk”, donated by retailers including major supermarkets before they are distributed to regional warehouses. Our pilot project will be launched in Tskhaltubo Municipality, supported by Red Cross Georgia volunteers and the local Mayor’s Office,” she explained.
PIN chose Tskhaltubo as the pilot site because of its community needs and impact potential.
Japaridze explains that the list of beneficiaries, which will be compiled by Japaridze’s municipal office, will include both men and women. “Our hope is to expand the pilot program to other municipalities once it is established.”
This initiative is focused on fostering a culture that promotes awareness of food insecurity and eliminates the stigma of seeking assistance. Japaridze said, “We will conduct a campaign to raise awareness in Tskhaltubo so that beneficiaries do not feel ashamed of using food bank services. This includes engaging local schools and supporting NGOs in local training and presentations.
The initiative’s critical timeline includes changes to Georgian tax codes that will take effect on January 1, 2020, and relevant legislation that will come into force January 25, 2019.
Since it began discussions with Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2019, the FAO has played a key role in shaping this initiative. Jumber Maruashvili is Senior National Policy Advisor for FAO. She noted that “we found the concept of food wastage and redistribution through food banks were largely unknown to Georgians.” “Previous donations were informal and there was no legal framework or systematic approach to support these initiatives. Our goal was to establish a foundation for an effective food donation system.
He continued, “The amount of waste generated by retailers each year is staggering — up to 20 million GEL. This is simply unacceptable.” Our research shows that major retailers are willing to get involved. Brussels and France are leaders in this field, so we looked to them for inspiration. France has been operating food banks since 1990, making it a leader in food donation. However, they didn’t implement the necessary legislation until 2018, which included governmental funds for food banks. We are not asking for budget allocations from the Georgian government, but we do need their essential political support.”
By removing the VAT and income tax from food donations, retailers won’t have to pay any costs. This not only helps reduce waste, but also boosts their corporate social responsibilities (CSR) image.
Maruashvili told GEORGIA NOW that “the law clearly defines the responsibilities and duties of state institutions. After this, the necessary bylaws and decrees were issued to ensure effective donation procedures and food safety.” “Authorization by the National Food Agency will be vital. Food banks will be classified and subject to inspections in order to maintain quality standards. Georgia does not have the infrastructure in place to allow food banks to handle high-risk products such as meat and dairy. The process of elaboration is long. We’ve been working hard to align ourselves with societal expectations and, encouragingly we’ve received zero negative feedback. This initiative has even garnered bipartisan approval in parliament!”
The Zero-Waste Lunch was co-hosted with Meriko Gubeladze. She is a leading advocate of sustainable dining. It also served as an opportunity for chefs and hospitality professionals to rally around the urgent necessity for food waste reduction. Gubeladze said that the initiative was not only to reduce food waste but also to promote sustainable practices in our industry.
As the pilot project takes shape, the commitment of Georgia’s government and HORECA sectors, as well as the retail sector, signals a pivotal change towards a sustainable future where food waste reduction, and community support, go hand-in-hand.
By Katie Ruth Davies
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