Luxembourg, 12th March 2025
On 19 February 2025, the European Union reached a provisional agreement on the first binding targets to reduce food waste in the history of the EU and globally. These envisage a reduction of 10% in manufacturing and by 30% in retail, restaurants and households by 2030. But these targets are incompatible with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which is to halve food waste by 2030. Foodsharing Luxembourg calls for Luxembourg to go beyond these minimum requirements and take a pioneering role in the fight against food loss and waste.
The urgency of action is undisputed: Representatives of all political parties and experts agreed even before the last national elections that more must be done. This was evident at our panel discussion on 28 September 2023, where experts such as Dr. Rachel Reckinger (University of Luxembourg), Estelle Flammang (on.perfekt) and Svenja Zelder (IBLA) discussed concrete solutions together with political representatives. In addition, the national strategy for adapting to the consequences of climate change, presented by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity on 7 February 2025, includes 131 measures, including the reduction of food waste. Now it is important to follow up these words with decisive action.
Foodsharing Luxembourg presents 10 concrete measures aimed directly at advising the government, in order to significantly reduce food waste along the entire value chain through its own legislative text. This list of demands is supported by the organisations Etika, Frères des Hommes, Foodsharing Akademie by foodsharing e.V., microtarians, Greenpeace Luxembourg, the platform Meng Landwirtschaft and Transition Minett. “The proposed EU requirements are not enough. Luxembourg has the opportunity to lead the way and set ambitious national targets to reduce food loss and waste and to take effective concrete measures,” says Daniel Waxweiler, European Climate Pact Ambassador and member of Foodsharing Luxembourg.
Link to political demands: https://foodsharing.lu/political-demands/
Foodsharing Luxembourg calls on the national government to finally introduce a law with decisive measures against food loss and waste. Tackling food loss and waste is not only a sustainability imperative, but also an effective measure to curb global warming and conserve resources. The time to act is now.