The platform Donezalimente.md was developed within the project “Partnerships for inclusive and sustainable social canteen services” funded by the European Union, co-financed and implemented by I.P. “Keystone Moldova,” A.O. “Concordia. Social Projects,” and I.R.M.S. “Diaconia”. The project aims to contribute to the development of social canteen services in the country and improve the food recovery mechanism. In this context, the support provided for the development of the Food Bank focuses on increasing the capacity to collect surplus products from the agri-food chain and on redirecting them to social services.

“The platform DonezAlimente.md was created to connect those in need with those who can offer support. In this way, we contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society. At the same time, we actively contribute to creating a culture of solidarity to reduce food waste. The European Union supports the Food Bank’s activity because it promotes respect for food, as well as the value of those who grow, prepare, and distribute food. Recovering food which is good for consumption reduces food waste. Such a mechanism is widely implemented in the European Union and has recently gained momentum in the Republic of Moldova. We welcome this”, said Jānis Mažeiks, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

The Food Bank is responsible for managing the platform Donezalimente.md, which will operate according to the following mechanism:

1. Economic agents in the agri-food chain register on the platform as donors of food products, specifying the quantity, type, and location of the available stocks.
2. Social service register on the platform as beneficiaries of the Food Bank.
3. The Food Bank team facilitates the connection between food donors and social services.
4. The social service will directly take the available stock from the donor, without the need for it to initially reach the Food Bank’s warehouse.

Only food donors and organizations providing social services will be able to register as users of the platform, with access to information about available food quantities limited to users and the Food Bank team.

Oleg Paraschiv, Executive Director of the Food Bank, stated: “Thanks to technology and a system that has already been piloted in several European Union countries, the platform will constantly monitor the recovery and distribution of food products so that we can keep as much food in consumption as possible and not turn it into waste.”

Ludmila Malcoci, Executive Director of Keystone Moldova, mentioned: “For social services, the platform is a tool designed to facilitate access to freely offered food products in the region where they operate, so that more people in difficulty can benefit from a hot meal.”

Over the past year of receiving support from the European Union, the Food Bank of Moldova has recovered approximately 90 tons of food, which have been distributed to 39 social services. Within these social services, over 5000 individuals have benefited from the recovered food products.