NGO repurposing food waste

Greek NGO Boroume (“We Can”) is working to reduce food waste by collecting unsold fruit and vegetables from producers and traders and distributing them to those in need.

Since its inception in 2011, the NGO has distributed over 50 million portions of food from thousands of donors to more than 600 charities all over Greece, while over 500 tons of uneaten fruit and vegetables have been saved since 2015, when it started its cooperation with three farmers’ markets in Athens.

“There are indications from research in our country that we are among the most wasteful in Europe,” said Boroume head Anna Kampouropoulou.

Each Greek wastes an average of 142 kilos of food per year, it is estimated. Only 36% of households say they do not throw away food, while 12.4% of the country’s population (1.35 million citizens) are faced with food insecurity.