About

Food donation can serve as a vital solution to the challenges of global hunger and food loss and waste. It redirects safe, surplus food that would otherwise be lost or wasted onto the plates of those who need it most. Yet uncertainty surrounding food donation laws and policies is hindering the expansion of food banks and food recovery organizations.

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To help address the most pressing legal questions and operational barriers to food donation around the world, the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) launched The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas in February 2019. This multiyear partnership aims to pave the way for the expansion of food donation by:

  1. Identifying and explaining national laws related to food donation in an ever-growing list of countries;

  2. Analyzing the most common legal barriers to greater food donation in these countries and sharing best practices for overcoming them; the legal issues examined are outlined below.

The country-specific findings and recommendations of the project can be found on the Country research page. The interactive Quick-view atlas enables users to easily compare food donation laws and policies among countries. Further information by policy area can be found on the Best practices page. You can also view the Methodology and download a one-page summary of the project.

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What are the major legal issues impacting food donation around the world?

FLPC and GFN have identified the following legal issues as the most critical to food donation. These issues have been examined in each country that is part of the The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas.

Food safety for donations: A key barrier to food donation can be the lack of knowledge or readily available guidance regarding safety procedures for donated food. All donated food should be safe for consumption and comply with applicable food safety laws and regulations. Potential donors, however, are often uncertain as to which food safety regulations apply to donated food and the steps necessary to comply.

Date labeling: Date labels affixed to food products are a major driver of food waste and an obstacle to food donation. Most food donors and food recovery organizations are appropriately cautious about donating food that may no longer be safe, but it is not always clear whether the date label accompanied by language such as “sell by,” “expires on,” or “best by” relates to food safety. In fact, date labels are generally intended to reflect freshness or quality rather than food safety for the vast majority of foods.

Liability protection for food donations: A significant barrier to food donation is the fear among donors that they will be found liable if someone becomes sick after consuming donated food. Some countries have adopted liability protections to mitigate this concern. However, many food donors and food recovery organizations are uncertain as to whether they are eligible for this protection, whether there are actions required to maintain the protection, and what limits, if any, apply.  

Tax incentives and tax barriers: Transportation and storage costs are often cited as the main expenses that manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants need to overcome to donate food. Tax incentives, including deductions and credits, can help to offset these financial inputs and help make donation a more attractive, affordable option. The application of certain taxes to donated food, such as the value-added tax, however, can also create a barrier to donation.

Donation requirements or food waste penalties: Some countries have employed food donation requirements or impose monetary penalties for food that is sent to landfills (often known as organic waste bans or waste taxes) in order to influence business behavior and promote more sustainable food systems.

Government grants and incentives: Grants and incentive programs funded at the national or local level offer another important resource for food donation initiatives. This is particularly true in countries where donors consider tax incentives to be insufficient to offset the costs of donation or where a lack of infrastructure limits food recovery efforts.

National law or policy on food waste: Adopting a national food loss and waste or food donation framework can help governments ensure policy coherence and advance food recovery efforts along the supply chain. Offering a unified and comprehensive framework may better enable governments to clarify food safety rules, standardize date labels, define liability protections for food donors and food recovery organizations, and set forth additional tax benefits to which donors may be entitled under relevant law. A national law or policy can also serve as a foundation for government grant programs and awareness campaigns focused on food system sustainability and food security.

Since 2010, the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) has served partner organizations and communities by providing guidance on cutting-edge food system issues while engaging and educating law students in the practice of food law and policy. FLPC is committed to advancing a cross-sector, multidisciplinary, and inclusive approach to its work, building partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private-sector actors, and civil society with expertise in public health, the environment, and the economy. FLPC’s work focuses on increasing access to healthy foods, supporting sustainable production and regional food systems, promoting community-led food system change, and reducing waste of healthy, wholesome food.

The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-driven solutions to alleviate hunger in more than 40 countries. While millions struggle to access enough safe and nutritious food, nearly a third of all food produced is lost or wasted. GFN is changing that. GFN believes food banks directed by local leaders are key to achieving Zero Hunger and building resilient food systems. For more information, visit foodbanking.org.

AcknowlEdgments

The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas was made possible through funding by the Walmart Foundation. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented on this website and in materials contained therein are those of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Walmart Foundation.

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