Promoter organisation: Banco Alimentare Onlus.
Banco Alimentare is an Italian nonprofit organization of social utility founded in 1989 with the social objectives of collecting production surpluses from the food supply chain, from the agricultural, industrial, large-scale retail and catering sectors and redistributing them to charitable institutions that provide assistance, support and aid to the poor, the marginalized and in general anyone in need in Italy
Country: Italy
What:
The project Food Bank, developed by Banco Alimentare Onlus, promotes policies to fight food waste and support poverty and social exclusion with the support of European and national institutions.
From 1990 the Food Bank collects unused, intact and expired foods in Italy, which generally should have been destined for destruction because they were considered unmarketable, allowing these products to acquire a new value and represent new wealth for those who have less.
Banco Alimentare is one of the charitable organizations recognized and registered in the register established by the Agency for Agricultural Disbursements (Agea) through which foodstuffs are distributed free of charge to people in need as part of the European Union aid programs.
It has also many sponsors. Among them there are: Poste Italiane, Unipol Sai Assicurazioni, Intesa SanPaolo – Banca Prossima, Eni, the patronage of the Presidency of the Italian Republic and the collaboration with the Army, CDO Opere Sociali, Società San Vincenzo de Paoli, National Alpini Association.
How:
The Food Bank’s primary aim is the social valorisation of food surpluses for charitable purposes.
When:
From 1990 and still active.
Why it is relevant:
The project led to the establishment of a real network against food waste which is engaged every day throughout Italy through 21 Italian Food Banks coordinated by Banco Alimentare Onlus with the help of Territorial Partner Organizations.
Its activity aims to contribute to alleviating the problem of hunger, marginalization and poverty, as well as promoting the fight against food waste, in collaboration with national and European institutions. To do this, it coordinates donations and helps organize the recovery of surpluses from the agri-food chain, distributing them to the Food Bank Organizations which, in turn, distribute the food free of charge to the Territorial Partner Organizations.
Target group:
All citizens
RESULTS OF THE GOOD PRACTICE
The project in 2022 has:
- recovered more than 112,700 tons of food;
- helped more than 1,680,000 people;
- involved 1,872 stable volunteers-
- involved 7,587 Territorial Partner Organizations.