On September 30th, EuroFIR took part in the hybrid event “From Excess to Impact: Reducing Food Waste and Feeding Communities,” held at the European Parliament to mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Organized jointly by European Food Forum and The European Food Banks Federation (FEBA, by its French acronym) the event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society to discuss one key question:

How can Europe keep reducing food waste while ensuring no one goes hungry?

To open the debate Olivér Várhelyi (HU) EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, called on everyone to take responsibility by cutting food waste and educating younger generations about sustainability and responsible consumption.

What Europe’s leaders had to say.

Several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) shared their perspectives throughout the session. Anna Zalewska (PL, ECR), Rapporteur on the Waste Framework Directive, outlined the EU’s upcoming targets: by 2030, food manufacturers should reduce waste by 10%, and the hospitality and household sectors by 30%.

To reach these goals, collaboration will be key. Thus, MEP Mario Furore (IT, GUE/NGL) emphasized food redistribution as a practical way to fight both waste and food insecurity. Building upon this idea, Ana Miranda Paz (ES, Greens/EFA) framed food waste reduction as a moral obligation, tying it to the concept of food sovereignty, empowering citizens and ensuring fair access to food through sustainable practices.

Representing the European Commission, Klaus Berend (BE, DG SANTE) and Ruth Paserman (BE, DG EMPL) shared the roadmap for implementing the new Food and Textile Waste Directive. They explained how the law can impact food banks in each EU member state and stressed the importance of consulting national federations to ensure fair and effective implementation.

Food banks: leading by example.

MEPs Stefan Köhler (DE, EPP) and Pietro Fiocchi (IT, ECR), on behalf of the European Food Forum, thanked FEBA for co-organizing the event and highlighted the essential work of food banks in tackling waste. Bernard Valluis (FR, FEBA), FEBA President, presented the network’s main efforts, redistributing surplus

food to people at risk of food insecurity and raising public awareness around responsible consumption.

Adding a global perspective, Emily Broad Leib (US, Harvard University) presented The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas an innovative tool that maps and compares food donation policies worldwide. FEBA’s members also shared practical insights as Angela Ruttledge (IE, FoodCloud) explained how her organization supported the Irish government in shaping national food redistribution policies, contributing valuable expertise to the Atlas project.

Solutions across the value chain

Representatives from across the agrifood world brought their experiences and ideas as well.

On the side of consumers, Els Bruggeman (BE, EuroConsumers) highlighted how communicating sustainability through affordability can help households produce less waste while saving money. Whereas Els Bedert (BE, EuroCommerce) in representation of retailers, pointed out the carriers barriers to food donations, such as complex paperwork, unclear policy jurisdiction and inconsistent tax incentives across the EU. Finally manufacturers through Alessandro Piccione’s (BE, FoodDrinkEurope) and Jovana Mitrovic’s (NL, Tetra Pak) interventions reaffirmed the food industry’s commitment to sustainability, with Mitrovic emphasizing how innovative packaging and continuous research can extend product shelf life and reduce food waste.

Moving forward together

By the end of the event, one message stood out: only through collaboration across sectors can we create lasting solutions.

At EuroFIR, we strongly support these kinds of dialogues. They help bridge the gap between policy and everyday action — engaging everyone along the food chain in building a fairer, stronger, and more sustainable food system for all.

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