Measures to Combat Food Waste in the Czech Republic

• Published in: European food and feed law review 2018-01, Vol.13 (1), p.49-52
• Main Authors: Grmelova, Nicole, Vavrečka, Jan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bakeries; Bread; Charities; Committees; Consumer behavior; Consumers; Consumption; Czech Republic; Distribution; Donations; Food processing industry; Food programs; Food waste; Initiatives; Internet; Jurisdiction; Parliaments; Private sector; Recipes; Supermarkets; Tobacco; VAT
• ISSN: 1862-2720; 2190-8214

A better management of food distribution could save many people from starvation.[...]global, European, and national bodies promote instruments aimed at reducing food waste.At the national level, the Czech legislator seeks to reverse the trend of rising food waste as illustrated by Figure i (see Appendix).[...]an amendment to the Food and Tobacco Act was adopted with the aim to prevent food waste.According to a "Guide on preventing food waste in the private sector of food industry," elaborated by the Czech Environment Ministry, the average annual food waste in the Czech Republic is estimated at 829 851 tons, an equivalent of 80 kg of foodstuffs per inhabitant per year.According to a study conducted by the European E conomic and Social Committee in 2014, more EU Member States apply the same strategy to promote food donations to food banks.10 The European Commission believes that charging VAT on food donations discourages those food business operators who would otherwise be willing to donate food, and therefore it does not oppose national tax regimes that charge no VAT for food donations.11 Some EU Member States' jurisdictions have gone even further in adopting tax measures to promote food donations.