"The activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and the stakeholders in the food supply chain resulted in a 48% increase in the total original value of the donated food compared with 2019, which amounted to HRK 19 million in 2020," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry is implementing the 2019-2022 national plan for prevention and reduction of food waste generation, based on which the the legislative framework has been improved, guidelines on food donation have been adopted, workshops have been held for donors and intermediaries in the food donation chain, and the e-donation project has been launched.
The ministry is continuing activities to improve the food donation system. Currently it is preparing an infrastructure development project for intermediaries in the food donation chain and food banks. An aid scheme for this purpose, which would be financed from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, is expected to be announced by the end of the year.
The IT solution for the e-donation system will be upgraded to improve the distribution of donated food, and information campaigns will be launched to raise public awareness of excessive food waste and of food donation, the ministry said.