New reports highlight Food Donation Policy opportunities in Poland and Ireland
Latest additions to the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas examine national efforts to curb food waste and improve food donation frameworks across the EU
[Boston, MA – June 19, 2025] — The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), in collaboration with the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), are releasing two new country reports on Poland and Ireland as part of the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas. These reports examine the legal frameworks affecting food recovery and donation, highlight national strategies to prevent food waste, and offer tailored policy recommendations to increase food redistribution and reduce food insecurity.
A third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted, amounting to 1.3 billion tons per year, while millions continue to face hunger. In the EU, more than 42 million people are unable to afford a quality meal every other day, even as nearly 59 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. The Poland and Ireland reports contribute to a growing body of legal analysis that supports countries in identifying and overcoming barriers to food donation and loss reduction.
“The insights from our new reports on Poland and Ireland demonstrate a shared need across the EU: robust and clear legal frameworks are foundational to effective food donation,” said Emily Broad Leib, Director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. “In Ireland, enacting a Good Samaritan law would provide essential liability protections, while in Poland, allowing the donation of food past its ‘best before’ date could significantly expand the supply of safe, surplus food available to those in need. These and our other country-specific recommendations highlight critical policy levers that can unlock food recovery at scale. We’re proud to collaborate with FEBA on this EU Series of the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas, helping build a roadmap for how countries can—and must—address legal barriers to food recovery and transform surplus food into a powerful tool against hunger and waste.”
“After having published reports from 25 countries around the world, we are delighted for the Atlas to publish its first reports on European Union countries, Poland and Ireland. The policy recommendations therein can help lawmakers in both countries take additional steps to reduce food waste and increase donation, helping move closer to the EU’s food waste reduction target,” said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of GFN. “We look forward to much more research from EU countries and will continue working with our partners at FEBA and the FLPC to advance policy that is good for people and the planet.”
“We are pleased to see the release of these new reports on Poland and Ireland, which provide a detailed and objective look at how national laws can either enable or hinder food donation,” said Esteban Arriaga, CEO of FEBA. “At FEBA, we know that supportive legal frameworks are essential to the work of food banks. These reports are a strong step toward clarifying and improving legislation, and we look forward to seeing similar analysis extended to other European countries, so we can continue to remove barriers and scale up food recovery across Europe.”
Key recommendations in Poland:
- Set national targets: Establish a national food waste reduction goal, including a subgoal for surplus food donation, along with a published strategy designating clear government responsibilities.
- Clarify food safety for donations: Amend existing food safety law to include a section specific to food donation and issue a government-endorsed food safety guide for donors and food recovery organizations.
- Allow donation of food past quality date: Reclassify food past its “best before” date as eligible for donation and promote further public and business education on date labeling.
- Provide targeted grant funding: Launch grant programs specifically for food donation infrastructure, particularly in rural areas and among small food recovery organizations.
- Expand donation requirements and streamline procedures: Extend the obligation to donate unsold food beyond large retailers, but also provide tax credits and simplify VAT documentation to support food donation across the supply chain.
Key recommendations in Ireland:
- Establish liability protections: Enact a national Good Samaritan law to protect food donors and redistribution organizations acting in good faith from legal liability.
- Introduce tax incentives: Add tax credits or deductions for in-kind food donations and offset costs such as transportation and storage to make food donation more economically feasible.
- Amend VAT policies: Modify the VAT scheme to exempt donated food from VAT and allow donors to reclaim VAT paid on inputs, following models such as Italy.
- Publish donation-specific food safety guidance: Develop a comprehensive Guidance Note on food safety for donations, endorsed by relevant government departments, to clarify rules for donors and redistribution organizations.
- Strengthen reporting requirements: Require individual businesses, including small and medium enterprises, to measure and report food loss and waste data and ensure access to shared data frameworks to support compliance.
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The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas identifies national laws and policies that support or hinder food donation and offers recommendations to strengthen legal frameworks and fill policy gaps. The project’s aim is to help governments and stakeholders create enabling environments that promote food recovery, reduce food loss and waste, and support those facing food insecurity.
Legal guides, policy briefs, and executive summaries for more than 25 countries and the European Union are available at atlas.foodbanking.org.
About the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic
Since 2010, the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) has provided legal and policy guidance on food systems issues in the U.S. and around the world. Through a collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach, FLPC promotes access to nutritious food, supports sustainable agricultural practices, and reduces food waste, while training the next generation of food law and policy leaders. For more, visit chlpi.org/food-law-and-policy.
About The Global FoodBanking Network
Food banking offers a solution to both chronic hunger and the climate crisis. GFN works with partners in more than 50 countries to redirect surplus, healthy food to those who need it. In 2023, our network provided food to more than 40 million people, reducing food waste and creating healthy, resilient communities. We help the food system function as it should: nourishing people and the planet together. Learn more at foodbanking.org.
About the European Food Banks Federation
The European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) is the leading Food Banking network in Europe, with 39 years of experience in combating food insecurity and preventing food loss across the continent. Established in 1986, FEBA is a non-profit, member-driven organisation based in Brussels. It brings together a network of 30 national organisations, including 25 Full Members and 5 Associate Members, representing countries across Europe. Learn more at eurofoodbank.org.