Rome – not only France but also Italy now has a law against food waste. He arrives tomorrow in the House, the bill-waste supported by the associations and submitted by the Democratic Party deputy Maria Chiara Gadda . The vote – a strong bipartisan support already expressed in the Social Affairs Committee – is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, then the text will go to the Senate. The objective of the new rule is to promote the responsible use of resources and the recovery of products still usable by voluntary associations, sburocratizzando the procedures for the collection and donation not only of food but also drugs.
incentives for those who give. “Compared to the French law (approved in February, ed ), which is based on the penalty, the Italian flagship on incentives and bureaucratic simplification – explains Gadda – and allows to overcome the difficulties that many donors meet. for example today any economic entity (company, restaurant, supermarket etc.) who wants to donate surplus food must make a prior declaration five days prior to donation. the new law instead provides a consuntiva statement later this month. As if to say: you can give. then at the end of the month summaries me, granting me the traceability of what you have given. so, for example, the supermarket will present the transport document and the baker receipts, from which will discharge the VAT. Punishing those who waste is of little use, the important thing to understand is that the recovered food is not waste, but the extension of good food. And this law makes it clear, because it is based on the concept of gift. “
Clarity about expiration dates . The theme of the PDL is thus easy is immediate – avoid waste, recover as much as possible for the purpose of social solidarity – but the text (consisting of 17 articles) is quite complex, because it involves regulations on food safety and also of fiscal kind, attempts to prevent such speculation, the black market or evasion. also focuses also on the individual citizen empowerment: “for example – continues Gadda – we wanted to reiterate that the products with the words ‘best before’ can also be used after the expiry, emphasizing precisely the difference between date of minimum durability and expiration date . Or that the unsold bread within 24 production is still good and can be donated. We then introduced the possibility to donate confiscated foodstuffs – which is already the case but only at the discretion of the judges – as long as intact and safe from the hygienic point of view. Moreover, voluntary associations, agreeing with the farmer, can retrieve the products that remain on the ground during harvest. Finally, the law guarantees to commercial and production activities generally a discount on the fee of waste proportional to the amount of food donated. “
The allocated funds. The new legislation also allocates economic resources important: “the fund linked to poor table (which for more than two years work by bringing together charities, industry, retailers and farmers’ organizations for the purchase of foodstuffs, ed ) is increased with 2 million euro for the year 2016 – continues Gadda -. Then two other funds are established: the first, from 1 million euro per year for three years (2016-2018), under the Ministry of Agriculture and funds related to research and technological development in the field of intelligent packaging-waste, with the possibility of involving volunteers
the other fund, again from 1 million euro, however, is bound by the Ministry to promote the use of containers in restaurants to take home the leftovers (the so-called “family bag” already on trial in Veneto). And here the battle is mainly cultural: “in Italy – says the first signatory to the pDL – it feels even shame in asking to take away leftovers abroad is the norm. We need to create more awareness in the individual on the need to reduce waste. Hence the law also involves the Rai, which will have to ensure an adequate number of hours of television and radio broadcasts dedicated to information on anti-waste behavior in the broadest sense, the food but also water and energy. “
citizens aware . We have to work so throughout the supply chain (from the producer who collects the excesses and donates them), but any citizen in person must do his part. the data in fact, we say that if 57% of waste are caused by economic actors (from primary producers to distribution and catering), 43% of the waste occurs at the consumer.
Collection drugs. An absolute novelty compared to France is that the Italian law also provides for the recovery of the drugs: “in consultation with the Ministry of Health, we have standardized the donation of pharmaceuticals unused, placing very specific stakes saw the sensitiveness of the issue, “adds Gadda that concludes with an appeal:” This law is the political legacy of Expo, where even the Head of State Sergio Mattarella stressed the importance of avoiding wastage. I really hope that there is a convergence of all political forces, because the climate in the Commission was positive and constructive. “
The Mipaaf and plan SprecoZero .” Finally it will equip Italy a standard that enhances the contrast employs a phenomenon that only by us is worth more than 12 billion euro a year – said the Minister of Agriculture Maurizio Martina – Under this aspect our country is already a good practice at the international level: every year we recover 550 thousand tons of surplus in the whole chain. In 2016 we want to get to 1 million. Our ‘SprecoZero’ plan goes ahead with the measures of the new law and with the intervention that we have already done with the stability, where we have made it more convenient for companies that donate to waste food. “
the vadamecum for associations . Consistent with the new law (and also mentioned in the text) is finally the “Manual for correct operating practices for charitable organizations” recently launched by Caritas and Food Bank Foundation. the handbook first in Italy, it aims to ensure the safety of food recovered for the poor and increase the collection of at least 30 thousand tons in the next three years. “Through the use of the manual – says Marco Lucchini, general director of the Foundation – will limit the possibility of error on the part of operators, offering them models of organization tested and good hygiene practices. “
No comments:
Post a Comment