27/05/2025
The Government of Catalonia has formally initiated the development of its Strategic Plan to Prevent Food Loss and Waste, as mandated by Law 3/2020. This initiative forms an integral component of Catalonia’s broader Food Strategy and aims to establish a comprehensive framework of actions for the forthcoming five-year period to significantly prevent reduce food losses and waste across the agri-food value chain.
The strategic planning process is being led by a coordination team with more than 45 agri-food stakeholders. FOLOU partners BETA Technological Center, Espigoladors and the Catalan Waste Agency are part of this group, in which the actors are asked to identify, decide, prioritise and address the principal challenges associated and actions to face food loss and waste. Within this context, the FOLOU project—through its partners BETA, ARC and the Espigoladors Foundation—is playing an active role, specifically in the area of primary production.
The plan foresees more than 20 sessions planned with the stakeholders throughout the first half of 2025. These participatory forums are fundamental to ensuring a consensus-based and well-resourced strategy that reflects the diversity and complexity of Catalonia’s agri-food system.
The FOLOU European project, participates in the different sessions to elaborate the Catalonia’s Strategic Plan to Prevent Food Loss and Waste.
Preliminary Outcomes from Stakeholder Consultations
Initial sessions have convened over 100 representatives from across the sector. The participants contributed to structured work dynamics aimed at identifying critical issues, validating technical findings and sharing best practices.
Three key themes emerged prominently:
These insights will inform the formulation of policy actions that aim to reinforce the sustainability, resilience, and cohesion of Catalonia’s agri-food system.
Role of the FOLOU Project
The FOLOU project has made significant contributions to the consultation process, particularly with regard to losses in primary production. By collaborating with local producers and associations, FOLOU partners emphasized the importance of empirical data collection as a foundation for crafting targeted and effective strategies. Their involvement reflects a continued commitment to addressing agricultural food losses through knowledge-sharing and stakeholder engagement.
Catalonia’s Leadership in Food Waste Reduction
Catalonia has long been recognized as a frontrunner in the field of food waste prevention, with a strong track record of implementing innovative public-private partnerships, awareness campaigns, and redistribution initiatives—many of which predate current legal requirements. Its integrated approach, from reducing on-farm losses to educating consumers and valorizing surpluses, has served as a model both nationally and across Europe.
Through this Strategic Plan, the Government of Catalonia seeks to consolidate its leadership by defining clear objectives, establishing measurable indicators, and aligning stakeholder efforts to build a circular and resource-efficient food system in accordance with legal mandates and sustainability goals.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program, under Grant Agreement: 101084106. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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