ZAGREB, Dec 28, 2020 - The Ministry of Agriculture on Monday appealed to citizens to try and reduce the amount of food thrown out during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The festive season is a time of giving and plenty when we prepare and consume a great amount of food and drink, the ministry underscored, noting that rarely do people eat everything they bought and prepared.

Surveys have shown that about 53%, or even up to 70% according to some surveys, of food thrown out comes from households, the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry hence recalled that it had launched a series of activities during the year aimed at raising awareness among consumers regarding the problem of excessive food waste in Croatia, with the purpose of changing habits and behaviour with food in households, the workplace, in schools, in stores or in restaurants.

The ministry appealed to citizens to try and reduce the amount of food wasted in each household during the festive season by applying a series of pointers, such as planning shopping lists and rational buying without creating unnecessary stores.

"Let's be socially sensitive throughout the year and share groceries and surplus food with those in need," the ministry underlined.

The ministry recalled that reducing the amount of food waste means decreasing household costs and that contributes to a personal feeling of satisfaction because food is not being thrown away. 

The ministry called on citizens to participate in trying to achieve the goal of halving the amount of food wasted by 2030.

ZAGREB, October 17, 2020 - A Croatian member of the European Parliament, Social Democrat Biljana Borzan, on Saturday presented a programme against food wasting, to be implemented in 46 kindergartens and schools in Osijek in cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Borzan told a news conference that Osijek was the first Croatian city to join this project, which is already being implemented in Italy, France, Belgium and the UK.

She recalled that at the time when she drafted a report on the issue of food waste for the EP, she was apporached by FAO with a proposal to help it find partners in Croatia.

Osijek was the first to accept the initiative and it will be the first city in Croatia to implement the programme against food waste in its educational institutions.

Osijek Deputy Mayor Boris Pilizota said that around 1,000 tonnes of food are wasted in Croatia daily, while in the EU 90 million tonnes of food are wasted per year.