Chisinau, Moldova - On 3rd of November 2022 the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova approved the Law on food loss and food waste prevention that will come into force in May 2023.

The Law aims to advance prevention and reduction food loss and waste (FLW) at all stages of a food value chain, as well as to contribute to the improvement of food security and nutrition and minimization of the environmental impacts of the food system. Thereby, the Law is the nexus between the reduction of food loss and waste, food safety and quality, and environmental protection.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) in Moldova has welcomed the recent approval of the Law on Food Loss and Waste Prevention, which will come into force in May 2023. MAFI recognizes its importance for advancing the prevention and reduction of food loss and waste at all stages along a food value chain, as well as for contributing to improved nutrition, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation through sustainable agri-food systems – one of the MAFI’s strategic goals”, underlined Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry. "Furthermore, we express great appreciation to FAO's support with regards to food loss and waste reduction efforts and we look forward to continuing successful collaboration, going forwardmost notably FAO's assistance disseminating information amongst national stakeholders; capacity development for food business operators regarding implementation measures whilst ensuring efficient use of resources along supply chains", added the official.

"The adoption of the Law on Food Loss and Waste Prevention in Moldova is a critical milestone for achieving sustainable development, with beneficial implications for both food security and nutrition and environmental protection," stated Tudor Robu, Assistant FAO Representative in Moldova. "We are happy that FAO’s expertise and support helped in achieving this important milestone. FAO contributes to reducing food loss and waste across Europe and Central Asia through various strategies such as policy formulation, multi-actor dialogues, cost-benefit analyses, and identification of critical loss points along value chains."

To this end, the stipulated measures include prevention and reduction actions, such as: selling food products approaching due date at a promotional or reduced price, donation of surplus food to beneficiary organizations or directly to final consumers for human consumption or animal feed, transformation of surplus food into compost or biogas, if surplus could not be prevented, and, as a least desirable action, incineration of food waste.

To ensure the safety and quality of the donated food, the Law obliges food business operators to trace the food that will be donated, as well as its recipients, be that final consumers or beneficiary organizations.

Applying he principles of the circular economy, the newly adopted Law promotes a better utilization of resources to increase the efficiency along the supply chains and envisages the reduction the environmental pollution generated from production up to waste management.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry will facilitate the collaboration between the Food Safety National Agency, the Environment Agency, and the Environmental Protection Inspectorate for dissemination and exchange of information, capacity development of food business operators in implementing measures, while ensuring food and feed safety, and waste management practices.

Food loss and waste reduction in Moldova

In 2018 - 2020, FAO implemented regional technical assistance project “Strategies for food loss and waste reduction” in Albania, Armenia, Moldova, and North Macedonia in close collaboration with the respective Ministries of Agriculture and other national stakeholders. To this end, FAO carried out assessment of food loss and waste in priority food value chains, consultations with farmers, traders, processors, retailers, government officials, civil society, and academia to analyse policy and legal instruments affecting food loss and waste and to identify and promote adequate interventions.

The project facilitated the discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Ministry of Economy of Moldova on regulatory measures necessary to enable prevention and reduction of FLW, including the adoption of the Law on FLW reduction. FAO supported the early stages of the Law drafting process.  

In 2019 - 2022, as part of the Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM) project “Sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems development”, FAO estimated food losses in Moldova and Ukraine by applying Food Loss Index methodology, assessed socio-economic impacts of food loss reduction between various stages of the food supply chain, from production to wholesale, through the Ex-Ante Carbon-balance Tool for Value Chains (EX-ACT VC), and carried out a comprehensive analysis of the data available on food being wasted at the stages of distribution and consumption.