800 soup kitchens in the Basque Country participate in an awareness campaign against food waste

• 170,000 users and workers participated in the "Food Is Not Thrown Away" (Janaria ez da botatzen) campaign, promoted by the Department of Food and Rural Development. Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Government with its Elika Foundation
• Objective: to reduce waste by 50% in the retail and consumer sectors and by 20% in production and supply chains”
• 9 collective catering companies in the Basque Country are collaborating with the Elika Foundation to prevent and reduce food waste in this sector
• Minister Mrsa Amaia Barredo: “The Law against Food Loss and Waste and the objectives established by Europe urge us to collaborate between public and private stakeholders for a sustainable food system”

Vitoria Gasteiz / Basque Country VG 2025 05 30

800 collective dining halls in the Basque Country and 170,000 users and workers will participate in the awareness campaign “Food is not thrown away / January is thrown away,” promoted by the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Basque Government and its Elika Foundation to raise awareness about food waste.  “Food waste has a negative impact on the environment, the economy, and society. From an environmental perspective, food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and the depletion of natural resources. “Economically, food waste represents a significant loss for businesses and consumers,” said Minister Mrs Amaia Barredo. “Socially, food waste contributes to the lack of availability and difficulty in accessing food for the most vulnerable,” added Mrs Arantza Madariaga, director of the Elika Foundation.

“All European strategies, as reflected in the twelfth Sustainable Development Goal, establish the urgent need to manage our resources responsibly and reduce food loss and waste, setting specific and ambitious goals for 2030, such as reducing waste in retail and consumer sectors by 50% and in production and supply chains by 20%,” emphasized Amaia Barredo at the press conference held at the Basque Government headquarters in Lakua.

One of the main conclusions drawn from the study published in July 2022, which analyzed food waste throughout the agri-food system, The Basque Country Ministry pointed out that "the largest volume of waste occurs in the final phase of the food chain," that is, in homes (57% of the total), in commerce (26%), and in the hotel and restaurant sector (12%).

"The Basque Government embraces this commitment, as reflected in the Government Agreement signed last year, which agrees to promote and encourage initiatives aimed at reducing food waste in the Basque Country, thereby achieving the objectives set out in the Basque Country 2030 Agenda," as Minister Amaia Barredo points out.

Furthermore, the recent publication of the Law on the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste on April 1st obliges all stakeholders in the food chain to apply a hierarchy of priorities aimed at preventing food waste and reducing food waste.