30% less foodwaste by 2025

On April 23, 2021, the Flemish Government approved the Food Loss and Biomass Action Plan 2021-2025.

Together with all the actors involved, the Flemish government wants to work on a circular solution for food waste (and biomass).

The entire food chain strives to prevent 30% of food waste, reprocess them as food or valorise them to a higher level on the valorisation ladder compared to 2015. Donation of food surpluses via the food bank, social organizations, … remains important, and prevention and valorisation actions will also be implemented across the entire food chain (from producer to consumer). In 2015, 907,000 tons of food was lost. To reduce this by 30% or to valorise it to a higher level by 2025, this means a reduction of 272,000 tons (if we exclude economic growth).

Social distribution platforms play an important role here:

“This action program aims to ensure that the food surpluses are consumed by people as much as possible. The focus is on expanding the existing distribution network of food banks and regional distribution platforms, and on strengthening cooperation with suppliers and processors of food surplus. ” (p 49. Food Loss and Biomass Action Plan 2021-2025)

The pilot projects within Flavor are already fully committed to the collection, redistribution and / or processing of surplus. The lessons from this project will be crucial to fulfill the role they are assigned within the action plan.

Read the full action plan here. (dutch)