1 What were the issues or challenges the project aimed to address?
The project was nationwide and responded to the need to strengthen organizations providing food aid or interested in doing so. In Poland, nearly 5 million tons of food are wasted annually, and one household wastes nearly 100 kg. (For: Program for Rationalization and Reduction of Food Waste). At the same time, the pandemic has increased the number of people forced to rely on food aid (per: Report of the Federation of Polish Food Banks “Don’t waste food 2020). Therefore, we considered it important to support entities that systemically solve the problem of food surpluses and reach the needy with them.
The project was created to increase the competence of organizations that redistribute food, test the mechanism of financing this process and develop tools to improve the law in this area. The beneficiaries are people from social organizations helping vulnerable people with food: the sick, those with disabilities and large families.
2 What did the project do?
The most important product is the creation of a specialized portal ratujemyzywnosc.pl, where we gathered knowledge in the field of food rescue and distribution, and disseminated it among organizations involved in food aid.
In addition, the beneficiaries of the project participated in study visits (in Poland and Norway), webinars, networking meetings and benefited from individual counseling. Informal groups assisting refugees from Ukraine were also supported. People from social welfare centers also participated in 7 webinars (6 were planned) and in the closing conference. One-on-one counseling made it possible to tailor topics to the needs of the participants, through which experts from the Food Banks were able to impart in-depth knowledge. Networking meetings and study visits gave space to exchange knowledge and inspiration, getting to know each other’s organizations. In total, about 800 people involved in food rescue organizations and informal groups benefited from various forms of support.
3 What results did the project achieve and for whom?
Through the implementation of the project, we achieved the planned result of professionalizing those involved in food rescue and redistribution. We consider it a success to have reached nearly 800 organizations whose employees have increased their competence. Documentation shows that participants gained knowledge about the principles of food storage and transportation, food safety, creating documents and records of food donations, cooperation with food donors, efficient distribution of food to people in need, social inclusion (volunteerism, culinary education).
We plan to update the materials, and the portal itself will be used by local Food Banks in implementing new aid organizations in food distribution. Legal expertise is the basis for advocating legal changes at the national level (appointments in the 2019 Non-Waste Law), and local policies. They are currently being used in the creation of a program to reduce food waste in Walcz and Ciechanow. Thanks to the board’s lobbying activities, a new competition for infrastructural support of food rescue aid organizations (the possibility of building a warehouse, renovations, retrofitting) from the KPO was announced on 1.06.23.
