Romania's social disparities remain stark, with 27.4% of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion and 17.2% experiencing severe material and social deprivation, the highest rate in the European Union. Yet Romanians generate approximately 3.58 million tonnes of food waste annually, nearly two million tonnes of which come directly from households, the Romanian Federation of Food Banks (FBAR) warns.

According to a press release from the organisation, World Food Day, marked under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), has once again brought to the fore an issue vital to society's future: the right to food for all. Access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food is neither a favour nor merely an occasional act of charity, but a fundamental requirement for a life of dignity, FBAR emphasises.

'This approach has recently received major political endorsement at European level: in a historic vote in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted key amendments recognising effective access to food as a fundamental human right and calling for structural support for food banks, acknowledging their role as pillars of social stability in the face of material deprivation,' the press release reads.

Nevertheless, global statistics show that current agrifood systems continue to leave entire communities behind. According to the latest UN global report, 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026' (SOFI), approximately 645 million people experienced hunger in 2025, while more than 2.1 billion faced moderate or severe food insecurity.

Furthermore, the high cost of nutrient-rich foods, including fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products and meat, means that 2.7 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet.

In Romania, the contrast between scarcity and surplus is particularly striking. Official Eurostat figures paint a worrying picture: 27.4% of Romanians are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, rising to 29.4% among households with dependent children, the second-highest rate in the EU. Furthermore, 33.8% of children in Romania are at risk of poverty, while 17.2% of the overall population experiences severe material and social deprivation, placing the country first in the European Union on this indicator.

At the same time, Romania generates approximately 3.58 million tonnes of food waste each year, including nearly two million tonnes from households. According to the latest Eurostat updates, around 188 kilogrammes of food per person are wasted annually in Romania, placing the country fourth in the EU for food waste.

'Behind these percentages lie the everyday realities of the people whom the Food Banks Network encounters through its partner organisations working on the ground: children in rural areas who go to school without a packed lunch, elderly people living alone who are forced to choose between medical treatment and a loaf of bread, or parents who give up their own portion to ensure their children have something to eat,' the press release says.

FBAR stresses that the answer to this paradox in Romania is not to produce more food at any cost, but to manage existing resources responsibly. To this end, the Romanian Food Banks Network acts as a professional logistics link between agrifood companies with surplus stocks and its 910 partner non-governmental organisations supporting vulnerable communities.

Through its nine regional food banks in Bucharest, Cluj, Roman, Brasov, Oradea, Timisoara, Constanta, Craiova and Galati, the network collects food withdrawn from commercial circulation because of packaging defects, labelling errors or approaching expiry dates, provided it meets food safety and veterinary standards, and redistributes it under temperature-controlled conditions.

In the first half of 2026 (January-June), the food banks redistributed 8,926 tonnes of products, including 7,589 tonnes of food rescued directly from waste. These resources provided approximately 17.1 million meals, offering monthly assistance to an average of 298,030 vulnerable people, including 111,822 children.

Since the establishment of the first food bank in Bucharest, the network has collected more than 49,000 tonnes of products, including over 44,000 tonnes of food rescued from waste and more than 4,000 tonnes donated by individuals through the National Food Collection, providing over 96 million meals to 340,000 individual beneficiaries.

FBAR highlights that redirecting surplus food brings direct social and environmental benefits. When food ends up in landfill, its decomposition produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. According to specialist data, every tonne of food diverted from waste prevents approximately 2.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions, while also conserving the water, energy and soil resources used in food production.

'World Food Day reminds us of a moral and social duty: food means life, health and dignity, not a commodity we can afford to throw away without a second thought. In Romania, we are witnessing a glaring injustice: while hundreds of thousands of children and elderly people lack access to a hot meal or essential nutrients, tonnes of perfectly good food are destroyed every day. For 10 years, we have been demonstrating that there is a workable solution. We have built a nationwide infrastructure of warehouses and refrigerated vehicles capable of collecting surplus food under the strictest safety conditions. We appeal to all producers, processors and retailers in Romania: join us! Together, we can make food waste a thing of the past and ensure that everyone's right to food is respected,' FBAR president Romuald Bulai said, as quoted in the press release.

To meet growing needs within communities, the Food Banks Network requires a continuous and diversified supply of products, including dairy products, vegetables, fruit, meat and staple foods.

'Companies in the agrifood sector can make surplus food donations part of their regular operations. Under Law No. 217/2016, as amended by Law No. 49/2024, the free transfer of food is exempt from VAT and fully tax-deductible. Companies wishing to support the logistics of warehouses and refrigerated vehicles can also do so through tax-deductible sponsorships under the Fiscal Code. Choose to let food fulfil its true purpose: feeding people, rather than becoming waste,' the organisation said.

The Romanian Federation of Food Banks (FBAR) and its nine regional food banks in Bucharest, Cluj, Roman, Brasov, Oradea, Timisoara, Constanta, Craiova and Galati form a nationwide solidarity network that rescues food from waste every day and turns it into practical support for vulnerable communities. FBAR is a member of the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA).

Since its establishment in 2016 and until the end of June 2026, the Food Banks Network has collected more than 49,000 tonnes of products: over 44,000 tonnes of food rescued from waste, more than 4,000 tonnes of food donated through the National Food Collection and over 1,800 tonnes of non-food products. More than 48,000 tonnes of food have been turned into over 96 million meals, distributed through 910 partner NGOs to 340,000 vulnerable people. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Tilica; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)