On International Day of Food Loss and Waste we are celebrating a huge step towards greater food loss and waste reduction with the publication of a suite of best practice recommendations by the Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC). The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas (the Atlas) review of Ireland is a collaboration between Harvard FLPC and the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), and is the most comprehensive global resource examining food loss, waste, and donation policies.

Since its launch in 2019, it has shaped policy reforms around the world by clarifying the legal environment for food donation, reducing liability concerns for donors, and helping to build stronger, more sustainable food systems.

Thanks to a partnership with the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA),  Ireland and Poland were the first countries in the European Union to be reviewed!

Among the measures that Harvard recommends for Ireland:

• Implement a food donation requirement for specific food waste generators, such as retail or wholesale food businesses of a certain size.
• Promote  education and awareness among consumers and businesses on the meaning of date labels.
• Introduce ‘Good Samaritan’ liability protection to food donors and the intermediaries who act in good faith to reduce legal concerns that prevent more food from being donated.
• Provide tax incentives to offset associated costs of food donation.

This research is a major milestone for Ireland and will provide vital evidence for policymakers, NGOs, and industry stakeholders as we work together to reduce food waste and increase food security.

It also opens the door for cross-project collaboration, particularly with our Food Circle project, as we push forward on systemic solutions to food waste, loss and hunger.

We are so grateful to Harvard, GFN and FEBA and the many academic, business and policy stakeholders who engaged with Harvard’s legal experts Emily Broad Leib and Kristen McEnroe. Read the Atlas here.