Given that we would like to pursue the topic of food waste on the agricultural and also on the retail level, we have comeup with a project called Save and donate (Gleaning), which we have been running since the beginning of 2015. Our aim is to inform farmers that they have the opportunity to donate their surpluses to the food banks and thus provide their fresh products to people who are in need. We also want to inform the public about the extent of food waste and explain from where the agricultural surpluses originate. We focus on the issue of the aesthetic criteria when assessing the quality and marketability of fruits and vegetables.
We addressed farmers from the Polabí region to find out whether they would be willing to let us collect their unharvested crops or to donate the excessive harvested crops to the food banks. The answer was positive so we organized several volunteer trips to the fields where we gleaned the leftovers that would otherwise rot in the ground.
This project should inspire the public to think about the growing issue of waste production, and show that it is widely present in order to stir up a discussion on how the current situation could be improved. This could exert the necessary pressure on large retail chains and convince them to sell „unattractive“ vegetables and fruits.
Do you want to join the project as a volunteer? Are you interested in the idea of going to a field with a group of passionate people? Fill in our volunteer sheet by providing us with your contact information.. For more information pleaseconsult this brochure.