An online platform that enables to donate food products was launched. The initiative is aimed at improving the quality of life of vulnerable groups from communities and to reduce food waste. On the portal donezalimente.md, food suppliers can indicate the products they intend to donate, while potential beneficiaries will be able to apply to obtain food products and the period during which these products will rich the vulnerable groups will be shortened this way. The platform was developed in the framework of a project financed by the European Union and co-financed and implemented by Keystone Moldova, the Public Association “Concordia. Proiecte Sociale” and the Social Mission “Diaconia”, IPN reports.

Keystone Moldova executive director Ludmila Malcoci said that food waste should be reduced to the maximum and the products should be used in a more efficient way so as to prevent famine. The population’s awareness and knowledge of the prevention of food waste should be increased.

Secretary of state of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Iurie Scripnic noted that there is food waste in Moldova too. But there are poor people who need such products. Even if Moldova has a law on the prevention of food loss and waste, this is not enough and new mechanisms should be further promoted to reduce food waste at each stage – production, processing, placing on shelves. The business entities and each citizen apart can become involved to solve this problem.

Svetlana Bolocan, head of the Waste Management Policy Division of the Ministry of Environment, said that it is important to lay emphasis on the improvement and reduction of consumption. “It is important to understand that there are malnourished people in the world and we should therefore reduce consumption slightly and supply also such persons who are in a sufficient number in our country,” stated Svetlana Bolocan.

Igor Belei, executive director of the Mission “Diaconia”, said that this is a platform intended for all those interested – donors and beneficiaries. The whole process is transparent and there is co-participation of all the stakeholders interested in this mechanism against food waste. The platform is intended for business entities and for accredited suppliers and guarantees the quality of the donated products.

According to data presented in 2022 by the expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”, economist Veaceslav Ioniță, the food waste in Moldova is of over 15.3 billion lei a year. 20% of the food products purchased by Moldovans are thrown away. The food is mostly wasted in urban areas.