Food loss and waste (FLW) management and administration is a multidimensional concept, one which encompasses prevention and waste management during food production; post-harvest activities and practices; food safety and hygiene; labeling and date indication; as well as official control and taxation (VAT, income tax, profit tax).

FLW is moreover a global challenge: a vast amount of edible food is lost and wasted every day, while the number of people affected by famine is constantly increasing. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index report from 2021, around 931 million tons of food waste were generated globally in 2019; out of which 61% originated from households, 26% from food services, and 13% from retail. Furthermore, approximately 17% of all food production around the world is wasted – 11% in households, 5% in food services, and 2% in retail (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021).

Georgia also disposes of significant quantities of food: 40% of landfill waste is organic, a large share of which is food (CENN, 2017). Around 9.5%  of the population experiences severe food insecurity, and yet approximately 0.6 million tons of food is wasted each year (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021).

Due to these notable issues, a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Draft Law on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This draft law is being developed in collaboration with the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. To support the Committee, the FAO contracted ISET Policy Institute to conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on aspects related to food donation in the draft law on FWL.