France Becomes First Country to Ban Stores From Destroying Unsold Food

05 Feb 2016 --- France has become the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from destroying unsold food and instead forcing them to give to charity and food banks, a move that campaigners are hoping will be replicated across the EU.

Under the law, passed on Wednesday, large French stores- bigger than 400 sq m-will give unsold produce to charities or food banks instead of binning it, in a landmark decision.

Stores will also be barred from deliberately spoiling food as to deter people from scavenging in their bins for foods, an occurrence which has become more prevalent in France in recent times as more people struggle financially.

The decision follows a high-profile media campaign run by a young politician, Arash Derambarsh, who said he was outraged and ashamed at the sight of homeless please rooting for food in supermarket bins.

The campaign led to a petition and in December last year a bill was passed through the French national assembly after it was introduced by Guillaume Garot, the former food industry minister.

On the face of it, charities should now be able to give out millions of free meals but there is some concern whether they will able to cope with the change.

Speaking to the BBC, Olivier Berthe, president of the Restos du Coeur (Restaurants of the Heart) charity, said: “This had better not translate into a poisoned chalice. We cannot be made to accept donations we do not need. We cannot become rubbish dumps.”

Jacques Bailet, president of the French Federation of Food Banks (FFBA), also flagged up a potential risk.

He said: “Our food banks are going to need more staff, more lorries, more refrigerated rooms. But to get all that, we will need money- and money is pretty scarce these days."

The supermarkets are also angry that they have been perceived as food wasters.

The Federation for Commerce and Retail’s Jacques Creyssel said: “It is wrong to point the finger at the big supermarkets when we represent just 5 per cent of food waste in France. In face we are exemplary- with 4,500 stories having already signed contracts with associations.”

The stores will have to sign contracts with charities to give out food donation otherwise they can face stiff financial penalties running into the thousands of Euros or even face jail.

Campaigners are now hoping that French will prove a test case and that the law can be passed across the EU.

by John Reynolds