French Law Has Made It Much Easier For Grocers To Donate Food

France’s two-year-old food waste law bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food. Stores that violate the law can be fined $4,500 for each infraction. But the law has affected much more than grocery stores. A whole subculture of food donation, collection, and distribution has sprung up across the country. Five thousand charities depend on the food bank network, which now gets nearly half of its donations from grocery stores. The new law has increased the quantity and quality of donations, with more fresh foods and products available farther from their expiration date. The law has also cut back on food waste by eliminating certain constraining contracts between supermarkets and food manufacturers. [Image Credit: © Politico Europe ]