Large scale food waste reduction in the Czech Republic

Apr 4, 2025Czech Republic, Farm to Fork, Food Security, Inspiring initiative

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Large scale food waste reduction in the Czech Republic with ‘Safe the Food’

Since its initiation in 2013 in Prague, the initiative Zachraň Jídlo (Safe the Food) has conducted several awareness-raising campaigns, participated in research projects and sought systemic changes to reduce food waste. It aims for the Czech Republic to reduce food waste with 50% between 2020 and 2030. For this to happen, consumers, farmers, retailers and restaurateurs need to radically reduce the amount of food discarded and at the same time make food waste socially unacceptable. The initiative also strives to motivate the state, cities and municipalities to take concrete measures to reduce waste. Saved food is given to vulnerable groups, such as homeless people and migrants.

Changing the system
Safe the Food combines research, activism, awareness-raising activities and active engagement of volunteers while cooperating with a large numbers of actors, such as firms, local authorities and NGOs. As such, it manages to achieve systemic changes. Because of its campaign ‘I am ready’ in 2016, huge supermarket chains started to sell “ugly” vegetables and fruit. Another example of significant change is that in 2013, Safe the Food initiated debate on a 15% tax imposed on food which supermarkets give to charities or food banks. A year later the tax was cancelled.

Serving those in need
Safe the Food actively works with people without homes, migrants, people with low income, single parents, including mothers, and seniors. It organises workshops for them, maps their needs and provides them with food and meals. For example, the initiative organised a workshop about how to cook sustainably and for ‘few crowns’. Safe the Food shared recipes with participants, cooked together and taught them how to store food. Another significant happening was the Lunch in Need (2021), when 162 lunch leftovers from various canteens and restaurants in Prague were delivered to vulnerable groups.