Food for 15 billion HUF saved for the needy

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 02. 22. 11:54

Last year, the Magyar Élelmiszerbank Egyesület saved ten million kilos of expired and defective food from destruction from stores and manufacturers in order to donate it to people in need. The HUF 15 billion grant was delivered to the needy mainly based on volunteer work and a food rescue network built from 500 charitable organizations. A total of 239,000 people with a difficult fate were helped in 2023, most of them on a weekly basis or even more often.

In Hungary, more than 1 million tons of food surplus is produced every year. Households are mostly responsible for the waste, but losses are also significant in the processing industry, trade, the catering sector and agricultural production. This is not only painful because the food problems of many people could be solved from surpluses. At the same time, the food that is produced but not consumed places a significant burden on the environment. According to a UN survey, 10 percent of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change can be linked to food waste.