Decision on the adoption of the Plan for the prevention and reduction of food waste in the Republic of Croatia for the period from 2023 to 2028.

This Decision, based on the provisions of the Law on agriculture, here adopts the Plan for the prevention and reduction of food waste in the Republic of Croatia for the period from the year 2023 until the year 2028 (the Plan is an integral part of this Decision). The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for informing the competent authorities, i.e. executors and participants, who participate in the implementation of the Plan. This Plan is based on the results and data from the implementation of the previous Plan for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Waste of the Republic of Croatia 2019 2022. Food waste affects the environment, limited natural resources, the economy and society as a whole. At the same time, throwing away food creates greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste is a global problem, and since, according to estimates, as much as one third of the food produced in the world is thrown away, food waste is recognized as one of the key problems that must be solved in order to achieve the sustainability of food production and consumption. Food losses and waste occur at all stages of the food production and supply chain, from primary production, production and processing, distribution, storage, trade, catering and institutional kitchens to households. Food losses are undesirable for ethical, economic and environmental reasons. Preventing and reducing the quantity of food waste has been singled out as a priority topic of European policies, strategies and initiatives, including the European Green Plan. Donating food supports the fight against poverty and hunger in the world, and at the same time it represents an effective tool for redistributing excessive food surpluses, which makes donating one of the most desirable options for the overall reduction of food waste. The main principle of handling waste is generally defined in the order of priority of waste management, and it is also applied to food waste. He defines that the best and most desirable way to reduce the generation of waste is to act to prevent its creation. In order to prevent food waste through the implementation of other measures from the previous Plan, numerous activities were carried out. The effects of the Plan will be monitored by measuring the quantity of food waste in accordance with the common methodology for measuring the quantity of food waste prescribed by the European Commission.
The goal of the Plan is to contribute to the achievement of the goals of the EU and the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development with the associated sustainable development goals, specifically goal 12.3. Responsible production and consumption with the specific goal of reducing food waste per inhabitant by half at the retail and consumer level and reducing food losses along the entire production and supply chain by 2030. The goal will be achieved by determining and implementing key measures to prevent and reduce food waste along the entire food chain. The implementation of the measures and activities provided for in the Plan partly contributes to the achievement of the 2nd goal of the UN Agenda 2030 entitled "Eradication of hunger". The plan and activities are based on the analysis of key measures and stakeholders and through the key determinants for action, namely: encouraging food donation and other forms of redistribution for human nutrition, prioritizing human nutrition over use in animal feed, processing into non-food products, fiscal incentives and other methods; developing and supporting information campaigns and educational activities and projects to raise the level of awareness of the problem of food waste, with an emphasis on the consumer level; through educational activities for the prevention of food waste intended for the youngest population (each with its specific sub-objectives and related measures).