Food waste is one of the world’s most pressing issues, affecting food security and costing billions in revenue every year. Every year, approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted across the globe, whether spoiled or wasted. This staggering figure is statistically one-third of all food produced for human consumption that never reaches a plate. While 295 million people faced acute hunger in 2024, more than 1 billion meals worth of edible food are discarded daily. Food waste also represents an environmental issue, as food waste generates 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
In an effort to combat these losses, France pushed forward legislation that banned supermarkets and food producers from throwing away or destroying unsold food. The country loses 1.8% of its total food production annually, the lowest rate among developed nations. In 2017, France ranked first in the Food Sustainability Index, which evaluated 34 countries on sustainable agriculture, nutritional challenges, and food waste management.
This achievement stems from pioneering legislation that transformed how supermarkets handle unsold food. France became the first country to introduce specific food waste legislation when it enacted the Garot Law in February 2016. The law requires all supermarkets with a surface area larger than 400 square meters to donate unsold but edible food to charity organizations rather than destroying it.
Prior To The Legislation
Before this legislation, some French grocery stores were pouring bleach into bins to prevent people from retrieving discarded food. Now, supermarkets face fines of up to €75,000 for non-compliance, and store managers risk 2-year prison sentences for violations. The law’s impact has been dramatic.
By February 2018, 93% of targeted supermarkets were donating surplus food, compared to just 33% before implementation. Food donations increased between 15% and 50% in volume, depending on the region. By 2019, 96% of stores reported practicing food donation. The French network of food banks now receives nearly half of its donations from grocery stores, providing vital support to 5,000 charities nationwide.
‘Compost Obigatoire’ Rules Helps France Combat Food Waste
Back in January 2024, France mandated obligatory organic waste recycling under their ‘compost obligatoire’ legislation. Municipalities were to provide households and businesses with ways to correctly dispose of bio-waste. Bio-waste includes food scraps, vegetable peels, expired food and garden waste. Each household or business would have a dedicated bin to dispose of this organic matter. Previously, businesses were required to separate their organic matter if they produced over 5 tonnes of waste per year. However, this law required all waste to be disposed of separately.
The objective was to turn this waste into biogas or encourage households to compost and use it as a natural fertilizer alternative. While these rules are encouraged, there are no legal consequences for non-compliance. Food waste accounts for approximately 16% of total emissions from the EU system, according to the European Commission. According to NGO Zero, over 40 million tonnes of compostable material and potential soil nutrients was discarded in 2018. This accounts for approximately 66% of the EU’s bio-waste of that year.
Background & Legisation
France’s pioneering response to food waste began from visible social contradictions in its cities. In 2015 and 2016, widespread images of bleach-soaked garbage containing edible food sparked parliamentary outrage. Socialist deputy Guillaume Garot championed legislation that transformed supermarket waste management from a business practice into a public health obligation. Parliament voted unanimously to enact this historic law in May 2015, formalizing it as the Loi Garot (Garot Law) within France’s environmental code.
The law established clear mandates for large supermarkets: those exceeding 400 square meters must sign formal charitable donation agreements before July 2016. Retailers face severe consequences for non-compliance, including fines reaching €75,000 or imprisonment up to two years. Stores cannot deliberately spoil edible food through chemical contamination or other destruction methods. “Unsold edible food” encompasses any product with remaining nutritional value and suitable packaging that retailers would ordinarily sell to consumers.
By 2020, France expanded these obligations significantly through the Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (Loi Agec). Promulgated on February 10, 2020, this comprehensive legislation extended food waste prevention across the entire supply chain beyond supermarkets alone. Beginning January 1, 2022, retailers cannot destroy unsold non-food products—they must donate, reuse, or recycle all such goods. The legislation established enforcement deadlines across multiple sectors while creating extended producer responsibility for six new waste categories. These cascading requirements position France as a European leader in mandatory, legally enforceable food waste prevention.
Definition of Unsold Edible Food
French law defines unsold edible food as products removed from shelves but still consumable. It targets food that remains usable after removal from sale. The AGEC law prohibits the destruction of unsold non-food products. Food products must be donated or repurposed. The definition focuses on edibility and safety standards.
Enforcement Mechanisms and Penalties
The DGCCRF fraud repression agency oversees enforcement. The agency monitors compliance across France. However, DGCCRF lost 911 agents over 15 years. Control agents remain insufficient nationwide. Sanctions lack consistent application. Many retailers show poor compliance since 2022. Fines can reach 0.1% of annual turnover. Previous penalties capped at €3,750. Non-compliance may incur fines up to €75,000. The law strengthened financial consequences significantly. NGOs report a decline in fraud repression capabilities.
Expansion to Other Food Industry Actors
The 2020 AGEC law significantly expanded obligations. It extended beyond supermarkets to other food industry actors. Mass catering facilities must comply with new requirements. Food service establishments face similar obligations. The law covers processing, distribution, and wholesale operations. It creates a comprehensive framework across the food chain. The expansion aims to address waste at multiple stages. However, compliance remains inconsistent across sectors. NGOs criticize the lack of political will. Waste production increased despite expanded obligations. The French Agency for Ecological Transition acknowledges implementation gaps.
How It Works in Practice
Supermarkets exceeding 400 square meters must establish formal written agreements with accredited charities before implementing donations. Store teams sort products removed from shelves each morning, identifying healthy unsold items suitable for distribution. These products must reach charities 48 hours before expiration dates, ensuring maximum freshness and nutritional value. Major chains including Carrefour, Leclerc, Auchan, and Intermarché, participate in this coordinated system, with Carrefour France donating nearly 48 million meal equivalents globally in 2023
Specialized logistics companies facilitate the collection and distribution process. PHENIX, a leading redistribution service, coordinates with over 600 supermarkets and food manufacturers, collecting approximately 40 tons of food daily and enabling charities to distribute 80,000 fresh meals. Organizations like Restos du Cœur and the Banques Alimentaires network receive consistent, organized deliveries instead of sporadic contributions. This professionalization improved the diversity of donated products, addressing previous nutritional imbalances in fruit, vegetables, and meat availability.
However, practical challenges remain significant. Smaller rural stores struggle with collection logistics, lacking centralized pickup infrastructure available to urban chains. Charities require adequate refrigeration, storage space, and trained staff to handle increased volumes. Food safety protocols demand rigorous sorting and documentation procedures, increasing operational burdens on both retailers and organizations. Additionally, while the law mandates donation agreements, it does not require minimum quantities or regular frequency. From 2016 to 2018, supermarket donations increased approximately 30% , but enforcement remains inconsistent across smaller stores and remote regions.
Impact & Outcomes
Since its implementation in 2016, the Garbage Law has prevented over 10 million meals annually from reaching landfills. Food donations to charitable associations increased by 22%, fundamentally reshaping France’s food aid infrastructure. French food banks now receive approximately 100,000 tonnes of donated goods yearly, with supermarkets providing roughly 35% of this total.
The environmental gains prove equally significant. France’s wasted food, estimated at 10 million tonnes annually. previously emitted approximately 15.3 million tonnes of CO₂, contributing 3% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. By diverting food from landfills, the law reduces methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping atmospheric heat. The 2020 Anti-Waste Law strengthened these benefits by requiring organic waste separation across households and businesses, multiplying the climate impact.
Socially, the law transformed public perception of food waste as a moral failing. Charities describe unprecedented demand from families facing precarity, with volunteers mobilized across 600+ supermarkets participating in daily collection networks. Municipal initiatives amplified success: Courbevoie, led by deputy mayor Arash Derambarsh, redistributed 400,000 meals within four years through focused commitment charters.
France’s National Pact to Fight Food Waste, updated through 2027, aims for 50% waste reduction compared to 2015 levels. However, evaluations reveal implementation gaps, smaller rural retailers struggle with enforcement, and compliance remains inconsistent despite penalties reaching €75,000 or imprisonment. The law succeeded in galvanizing political will and public awareness; sustained progress requires addressing these enforcement disparities.
Comparison & International Perspective
France pioneered mandatory supermarket food donation laws globally, establishing a model other nations have adopted and adapted. Italy implemented similarly comprehensive legislation in 2016, offering the strongest liability protections in Europe by equipping food banks with legal status equivalent to final consumers. Spain followed in 2023, requiring waste prevention plans and fines reaching €500,000 for serious violations. Germany encourages donations through tax incentives but lacks mandatory requirements, while the UK relies on voluntary industry partnerships without binding regulations.
The European Union has intensified pressure across member states. In February 2025, the EU Parliament and national governments agreed to binding waste reduction targets requiring 30% cuts in retail and food services by 2030. This legislative momentum reflects growing recognition that voluntary measures prove insufficient. Australia recently proposed a Food Donation and Waste Reduction Act modeled directly on France’s framework, establishing identical 60% tax deductions for donors. Singapore passed the Good Samaritan Food Donation Bill in August 2024, providing liability protections for food donors and charities. Colombia similarly enacted penalties for food destruction alongside donation legalization in 2025.
France’s approach delivers three critical advantages: mandatory compliance rather than voluntary participation, extended producer responsibility covering multiple supply chain actors beyond retailers, and holistic legislation addressing prevention alongside donation. The 2020 Anti-Waste Law expanded obligations to manufacturers and mass caterers, creating systemic change. International experts increasingly recognize that effective food waste reduction demands legal mandates combined with tax incentives, liability protections, and enforcement mechanisms. France remains the global standard against which emerging food waste legislation measures itself.
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Criticisms, Challenges & Future Outlook
Despite widespread acclaim, France’s food waste legislation faces substantial criticism regarding scope and enforcement. Large supermarkets generate only 5% of France’s total food waste, while agriculture accounts for 32% and food processing contributes 21%. The law originally ignored these larger sources entirely. Critics from Zero Waste France argue that preventing overproduction requires stronger upstream regulations rather than downstream donation mandates. Another major concern involves enforcement: no fines have been levied since 2016, despite penalties reaching €75,000 for non-compliance
Practical implementation challenges persist across stakeholder groups. Food assistance organizations sometimes receive unusable products, yellowed broccoli or items past expiration dates. forcing charities to sort waste themselves. Managing increased donation volumes strains charity resources, with organizations receiving only sporadic financial support for additional refrigeration, storage, and transportation needs. Smaller rural supermarkets struggle with collection logistics, lacking urban infrastructure and charity partnerships. The law requires donation agreements but does not mandate minimum quantities or regular frequency, creating inconsistent supply chains.
Looking forward, France continues strengthening its legislative framework. The revised EU Waste Framework Directive mandates 30% retail and food service waste reduction by 2030, requiring member states to transpose requirements into national law by June 2027. France must designate competent food waste coordination authorities by January 2026 and communicate prevention programs by October 2027. These binding targets address previous voluntary compliance weaknesses while extending obligations across the entire food supply chain, positioning France to achieve its ambitious 50% waste reduction goal.
Closing Takeaways
France’s supermarket donation mandate reframed food surplus as a resource, expanding structured partnerships and lifting food aid capacity nationwide. The 2016 Garot Law banned deliberate spoilage, required donation agreements for large stores, and accelerated a culture of prevention supported by national targets. The 2020 Anti‑Waste Law broadened responsibilities across the food chain, aligning with EU efforts to halve waste by 2030.
Measured outcomes show higher donation rates, better coordination, and clearer operating standards, though enforcement and rural logistics still lag. Critics note supermarkets account for a minority share of total waste, arguing for deeper upstream prevention and stronger oversight. Even so, the framework helped normalize redistribution, improve traceability, and catalyze innovation in recovery services.
The broader lesson is practical: combine mandates, clarity on liability, data tracking, and support for charities to scale safe redistribution. As EU binding reduction targets take hold, France can close gaps by tightening inspections, digitizing donation records, and investing in cold‑chain capacity. Continued progress will depend on prevention first, redistribution second, ensuring less edible food is wasted, more people are fed, and fewer emissions are locked in landfills.
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