Food Bank Saves 10 Million Kilograms of Food

Food Bank Saves 10 Million Kilograms of Food

Austria’s largest food bank has saved over 10 million kilograms of food from being wasted in Austria over the past 25 years, according to a press release.

Die Tafel was founded in September 1999 by students at the Social Academy and has since supplied more than 350 social institutions free of charge. As a result, 20 million meals have been provided to people living in poverty, and an equivalent amount of CO2 emissions has been avoided.

“Exactly 25 years later, our mission has lost none of its relevance,” Tafel Managing Director Alexandra Gruber said at a press conference on Monday. “Despite many successes, the challenges are increasing rather than decreasing. We therefore call for concrete measures and political support.”

Gruber highlighted that around a third of all food is wasted in Austria, while approximately 12% of the population – or 1.1 million people – suffer from food poverty, with 420,000 experiencing severe food insecurity.

“There is also an ecological component,” Gruber explained. “Food waste accounts for up to 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions.” She also noted that demand has risen over the past five years, while obtaining donations has become more challenging due to inflation. “It is becoming more difficult to secure donations because the donors themselves are affected by inflation,” she said. Additionally, it has become harder to attract younger volunteers to the organisation.

Nevertheless, the amount of food rescued has nearly doubled since 2019, and the number of people served has increased. Last year, Die Tafel provided food to over 35,000 people in 100 social institutions, marking a 25% increase compared to 2022.

Looking ahead, Die Tafel is calling for subsidies to save existing food surpluses from agriculture and for the provision of healthy free lunches in schools. A survey of all five parliamentary parties revealed that all parties, with the exception of the People’s Party (ÖVP), recognise the need for action on food poverty.

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