Hungary is committed to significantly reducing food waste at every level of the supply chain, said István Nagy, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, at a conference on preventing food waste held in Budapest.
On Tuesday, senior officials from the EU Member States and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) gathered at Várkert Bazaar, Budapest to deliver presentations and participate in roundtable discussions on preventing food waste. The event was part of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU.
„Reducing food waste is a priority of the Hungarian presidency, and we aim to continue supporting this initiative in the coming years. The goal is to halve food waste in Hungarian households by 2030 in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” – István Nagy Minister of Agriculture of Hungary
The latest results reinforce this commitment.
Since 2016, Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has been tracking food waste in households through the “Wasteless” program. From 2016 to 2022, total household food waste in Hungary decreased by 12.1%, while avoidable food waste, i.e., the category representing actual waste, dropped by 27.6%.
“This is a remarkable achievement that has garnered attention across Europe. The European Commission now recommends Hungary’s program as a best practice model,” emphasized István Nagy, adding that food waste remains a major challenge to efficiency in the European Union’s food supply chain.
During the ongoing negotiations with the European Parliament, the Hungarian presidency seeks to ensure that an interim political agreement remains closely aligned with the Council’s position. The goal is to establish realistic targets that do not impose higher burdens on Member States while promoting effective food waste reduction.
„Food waste reduction is not just an economic and environmental issue but also a moral question.” – István Nagy Minister of Agriculture of Hungary
As he explained, European countries, where people live in abundance compared to the rest of the world, have a responsibility to monitor food utilization and decrease waste.
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