Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH)
Berlin (ots)
On the occasion of the day against food waste on May 2nd, the Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH) is emphatically promoting the rapid removal of legal hurdles for donating food.
“Food trading companies have been working intensively against food waste for years. Although it has been proven that the losses in retail are by far the lowest, it is important to the industry to use numerous measures to further reduce food waste and conserve natural resources,” emphasizes BVLH- Managing Director Franz Martin Rausch.
Dialogue forum wholesale and retail: More than 200 measures against food waste implemented, trade reduced waste by twelve percent in the project period
The food trade has made great progress in the fight against food waste through its work in the wholesale and retail dialogue forum of the federal government’s strategy for reducing food waste. There, the participating companies, together with the state Thünen Institute and the EHI Retail Institute, have further developed a measurement method for loss assessment. This procedure, which is based on the recording of copies, shows the company which product groups are at greatest risk. Based on this data, measures can be developed with which countermeasures can be taken in a targeted manner.
The measurements taken in the dialogue forum came to the conclusion that in 2020 the participating retail companies lost a maximum of 0.25 million tons of food. Compared to the measurement of the previous year, the copies could be reduced by twelve percent.
During the course of the dialogue forum, the participating retail companies implemented a total of 202 measures that contribute to reducing food waste: 88 of these were internal market measures, 62 were measures at the interfaces to suppliers and 52 were measures to improve the distribution of food.
BVLH demands: adapt labeling and tax law, examine liability law, provide more financial support for food banks, expand consumer communication
“We would do more,” emphasizes BVLH General Manager Rausch. “We see potential above all in expanding cooperation with charitable organizations in the sale of food”.
The food retail trade already donates around 74,000 tons every year. There could be more. To do this, however, some conditions must change. The BVLH is therefore calling on the federal government to work to remove legal hurdles, as provided for in the coalition agreement.
Specifically, the BVLH demands:
- the amendment of (EU) food law regulations that prevent food from being passed on to non-profit recipient organisations. Food safety must be maintained.
- the creation of a permanent, if possible (EU) legal regulation for relief in the tax treatment of donations in kind and
- the examination of a limitation of civil and criminal liability in the case of food distribution carried out in good faith while complying with food law regulations.
In addition, there is also a need to expand financial support for charitable organizations by the federal and state governments. For example, pallets of donated food can often not be accepted and distributed by the Tafel because there is a lack of storage, transport and refrigeration capacity.
In addition, consumer communication needs to be strengthened. In addition to the educational measures of the trade, the state information campaign “Too good for the bin” is a very suitable instrument for this. The BVLH is therefore calling on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to continue and expand this campaign.
About the food trade association
The German Food Trade Association (BVLH) is the trade association for food work within the German Trade Association (HDE). It supports its members in carrying out tasks related to food and food law and protects their food policy interests vis-à-vis legislation, authorities and the public. In this area, the BVLH is the contact for politics, the media, consumer organizations and for the associations of the upstream economic levels. The BVLH is the founding organisation, namesake and co-organizer of the world’s leading trade fair for food and beverages ANUGA.
Press contact:
Christian Boettcher
press secretary
Food Trade Association (BVLH)
Phone: 030 / 72 62 50-86
Mobil: 0172 / 28 98 496
[email protected]
www.bvlh.net
Original content from: Bundesverband des Deutschen Lebensmittelhandels eV (BVLH), transmitted by news aktuell
