Did you know that one third of the world's food is never eaten and goes to waste? Saving nutritious food from disposal would contribute to its redistribution so it can reach those in need. This would help eliminate hunger and malnutrition. According to statistics, nearly 43 million people in the EU cannot afford a quality meal every second day.

From November 15 to December 15, the first Bulgarian festival dedicated to the problem of food waste takes place in Sofia. The initiative, called "Don’t Waste, Taste," has been created by three young ladies – the winner of the third edition of Master Chef-Bulgaria – Bozhana Katsarova, as well as Elena Kuzmova and Radina Bacheva.

The festival aims to focus attention on the problems of food waste and its effects on the people, economy and the environment. Various initiatives will attempt to raise consumers’ awareness by providing examples of reducing food waste in the capital city. Sustainable practices in this direction could also be launched.

The first edition of "Don’t Waste, Taste" includes a rich program of over 70 events – culinary, cultural and social. More than 40 restaurants in Sofia have included special menus and chefs give them recipes and tips to those who want to make the best use of their food.

The future is in the hands of the youth, so the festival will reach them with special events for the youngest at the end of November. The serious topic of food waste will be presented to them through games and interesting trainings.

"We decided it would be very nice to show good examples on the topic, without saying all people are bad,” Elena Kuzmova says. “We hope that many organizations and restaurants could show their good practices. People in Bulgaria should talk about this problem and offer solutions. The EU says that by 2030, discarded waste should be reduced by 30 percent. This means that very soon Bulgaria will have to comply with regulations. When it comes to using food completely, we are talking about learning ways to use as much of the food as possible. Visitors would be able to even taste potato peel ice cream. We will give many such examples. We want this topic to reach as many people as possible."

English: Alexander Markov