Environmental NGOs in Southern Europe have presented Food Connect, an app to minimise food waste and preserve the circular economy between food suppliers and people.
Thanks to a collaboration between environmental NGOs across Southern Europe, Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) is presenting the Food Connect app. Designed to help reduce food waste and strengthen local food networks, Food Connect creates a bridge between food businesses and people by promoting the redistribution of surplus food.
The app connects restaurants, cafés, bakeries, supermarkets, and other food outlets with individuals who can make use of food that would otherwise go to waste.
Food Connect supports a more circular, sustainable, and beneficial food system that fosters collaboration between communities, businesses, and the environment by encouraging the sharing and redistribution of surplus food.
The app is an easy-to-use platform that simplifies the donation of surplus food through just a few taps on a smartphone. Food outlets can list surplus items via the website, while individuals and community organisations can easily collect oversupplied food. In doing so, the platform helps reduce food waste, supports those in need, and promotes more sustainable consumption practices.
“The idea is that for any food business that has excess food that is still healthy to eat like bread at the end of the day, for example, they can list it on the app for donation and someone who needs it can claim it and pick it up,” said Beth Fiteni, Zero waste Campaign Coordinator at Friends of the Earth Malta.
Non-perishable food items, such as packed pasta, rice, canned goods, and other products that may be approaching their best-before date but are still perfectly safe to consume can also be offered through Food Connect. In this light, markets and other food outlets can opt to donate them through the platform, and in doing so one would be helping the community instead of letting them go to waste.
“Businesses can not only help their community, but also reduce their environmental impact. Food breaking down in landfills causes the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. So it’s a win-win for people and the environment,” Fiteni added.
She noted that the latest figures from Malta’s National Statistic Office indicate that bio-waste from kitchens and canteens amounted to 36,296 tonnes out of 353,525 tonnes of municipal waste in 2024. That’s approximately 10.3% of Malta’s municipal waste.
Under the EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive (EU) 2025/1892), by the end of 2030 EU countries must cut food waste in restaurants/hotels/food services by 30% per person relative to the 2021-2023 average.
Food Connect is a collaborative effort between NGOs in Cyprus, Malta, and Portugal. In fact, the app will be available in each country and there will be various events held in each partner country.
Events will bring together key stakeholders including “HORECA” (hotel, restaurants, catering) sector businesses, NGOs, community representatives, and public authorities to serve as an opportunity to showcase the new app and its functionalities, and to invite stakeholders to participate in pilot testing, providing valuable feedback to refine the platform. The platform encourages collaboration across these sectors to reduce food waste and hopes to make a meaningful social impact.
Recently FoEM hosted Flavours Without Borders, an ethnobotanical dinner, as part of the Refugee Week 2026 and as an opportunity to present the Food Connect app. The app was also highlighted at a recent Kamp Kemmuna for 20 youths to help engage those who can make use of donated food.
Restaurants, food shops, hospitality businesses, NGOs, or food banks, can sign up as a donor on the platform. Charities and social service agencies can also register as receivers.
Benefits to food businesses:
Businesses can deduct the cost of donated food just like regular lost stock – it’s treated as “written off” goods.
Businesses will be featured on this app, which will be promoted via multiple channels
Save on disposal costs if they normally pay for waste collection.
Businesses can gain points towards their company’s Corporate Sustainability goals.
Invitation to an EU-wide conference on food waste reduction here in Malta in February 2027
”Be part of the change that stops food waste, whilst also supporting your community. Together we can bring change,” said FoEM.