Important steps in promoting regional action to reduce food waste and promote sustainable consumption
They were presented at the final conference of the European FoodWISE project, which was implemented in the municipalities of Chalkidiki and Kavala, with the environmental organization incommon as a partner in Greece.
More than 60 representatives from partners of the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin FoodWISE – Prevention of Food Waste at Source project, municipalities, public authorities, NGOs, the academic community, and the business world from Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Turkey participated in its final conference, which took place on November 18, 2025, in Varna, Bulgaria. The meeting, which created a lively platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and future cooperation, was organized by the lead partner, BIONET Association.
Greece was represented by the environmental organization incommon, a partner in the FoodWISE project, while representatives of the municipalities of Aristotelis, Nea Propontida, Polygyros, and Kavala actively participated in the conference.
The conference highlighted the main results of FoodWISE, showing how it has contributed to promoting local and regional action to prevent food waste and promote sustainable consumption. Key results include:
FoodWISE Educational Toolkit: A comprehensive guide for awareness campaigns with educational modules, teaching materials, and practical tools to support municipalities, schools, and organizations.
Community Activation and Awareness Campaigns: Innovative actions such as the Re-Plate Festival, the Food Waste Patrol, and the student competition.
They were presented at the final conference of the European FoodWISE project, which was implemented in the municipalities of Chalkidiki and Kavala, with the environmental organization incommon as a partner in Greece.
More than 60 representatives from partners of the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin FoodWISE – Prevention of Food Waste at Source project, municipalities, public authorities, NGOs, the academic community, and the business world from Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Turkey participated in its final conference, which took place on November 18, 2025, in Varna, Bulgaria. The meeting, which created a lively platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and future cooperation, was organized by the lead partner, BIONET Association.
Greece was represented by the environmental organization incommon, a partner in the FoodWISE project, while representatives of the municipalities of Aristotelis, Nea Propontida, Polygyros, and Kavala actively participated in the conference.
The conference highlighted the main results of FoodWISE, showing how it has contributed to promoting local and regional action to prevent food waste and promote sustainable consumption. Key results include:
FoodWISE Educational Toolkit: A comprehensive guide for awareness campaigns with educational modules, teaching materials, and practical tools to support municipalities, schools, and organizations.
Community Activation and Awareness Campaigns: Innovative actions such as the Re-Plate Festival, the Food Waste Patrol, and the student competition.
One of the most important outcomes of the conference was the official launch of the Black Sea FoodWISE Network — a voluntary, cross-border cooperation platform for the prevention of food waste and public awareness in the Black Sea region, aimed at municipalities, institutions, tourism operators, and other public and private stakeholders from Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, and Turkey.
The Network’s mission is to transform a fragmented, nationally isolated approach into a coherent, unified front, ensuring that sustainability, the circular economy, and social responsibility form the basis of the region’s future food systems. It aims to implement joint or nationally targeted actions focused on reducing food waste, exchanging good practices in the circular economy, and improving resource efficiency through cross-border cooperation.
