©Dan Gold via Unsplash
On National Day Against Food Waste, which takes place on February 5, we want to tell you about the remarkable example set by the French.
In February 2016, France made a clear choice: prevent edible food from ending up in the garbage containers of major distribution chains. With the Loi Garot, named after the parliamentarian Guillaume Garot who piloted the law through parliament, the state made a widespread practice an offense. Supermarkets with an area of more than 400 square meters are no longer allowed to throw away unsold but safe food: they are obliged to donate it. The intended goal was ambitious: cut national waste in half and prevent millions of tons of food from ending up in landfills by 2025.
A law that changed the rules of the game
The impact of the measure soon made itself felt. According to an IPSOS survey, 93% of affected supermarkets were affiliated with donation programs in 2018, up from 33% before the law went into effect. The volume of redistributed food increased significantly in the first few years, with increases between 15% and 50%, depending on the region. Figures that indicate a structural change, not a mere voluntary adjustment.
Since 2018, the law has also been extended to collective catering that prepares more than 3,000 meals a day, and to food producers with a turnover of more than €50 million, thus extending the ban on destroying unsold products to other crucial links in the supply chain. Within this framework, waste ceases to be a fringe variable and becomes a regulated responsibility.
Sanctions and incentives: the double track
The Loi Garot does not leave it to good will alone. It provides for administrative penalties for those who do not comply with the obligations, with fines that can reach tens of thousands of euros. Controls are carried out by local authorities, often in cooperation with nonprofit organizations that receive surpluses and can report any deficiencies. At the same time, the French system has introduced tax breaks and administrative simplifications for companies that donate, making redistribution more attractive than destruction.
This combination has helped ensure that the law is effective and actually applied, rather than remaining a mere statement of intent. Despite its still obvious limitations, the measure has accelerated a process that, without a clear commitment, would have taken much longer.
(© Loi Garot via GreenMe.it 2026/Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: ©Birucao via Unsplash)