We all waste way too much food which could go to people who actually need it. Food banks have been established in many countries and in Romania and now it’s time for Cluj to also have one.
The Food Waste Combat team together with the Bucharest Food Bank have now launched the first Food Bank in Cluj. The Bucharest one has launched 7 months ago and they have managed to save 7 tons of food (!). What does this mean and how does this work? This basically means that people donate food that they don’t need and this food is stored in a special place and then it’s given to people who need it. The bank will function under the same principles of the European Federation of Food Banks and through this, they aim to combat food waste but also to reduce poverty and social exclusion. The organizers are hoping to launch other food banks in other big cities in Romania as well.
According to the Food Waste Combat, there is a food surplus every day. Supermarkets have 420 tons of food in excess and this means all that food is thrown. This is quite a waste given that a part of the population would need it. But where will the food go? The food bank will give the food to the NGOs who help poor young children and young people, people with disabilities, the elderly and poor families. But how will they establish which food will be donated? Products that have package errors or tag errors, products that were under a promotion that ended, free samples or products that are close to their expiry date.
Of course, people and private companies are encouraged to either donate or volunteer to help. At the moment 11 NGOs benefit from the food bank. The organizers are also hoping to educate people about food waste through educational campaigns in schools and restaurants and to convince people to not buy more than they need.
source: ilovecluj
positivenewsromania.com 
Leave a Reply