Moscow, Russia - TIARCENTER, an analytical center, launched the 1M TONNE project, aimed to develop food sharing in Russia and thereby decrease food waste by 1 million tons per year. To date, just about 7 thousand tons of surplus food is redistributed annually.

The 1M TONNE is an online platform, aggregating information on the existing food-sharing services and NGOs working in the field of food rescue in Russia, allowing users, be it a food donor or a recipient, to locate the most appropriate tool or a service provider. The platform is also a gateway to news and analytics on food sharing and food rescue.

According to TIARCENTER, the annual amount of food waste generated at the level of retail and households in Russia is at least 17 million tons. Not only this has a significant negative impact on the environment, being a source of 2.4 million tons of methane and other gases, but causes major financial losses. The market value of products thrown away each year is estimated to be more than 1.6 trillion rubles. This amount of products would be enough to feed 30 million people for a whole year — more than the number of Russians living below the poverty line (about 20 million people).