Building on the discussions and exchanges held during the 2nd CULTIVATE International Policy Dialogue in Barcelona on the theme “Wholesale markets and food redistribution: opportunities for social innovation” (31 March 2026), a set of consolidated policy recommendations to support food waste prevention andsurplus redistribution has now been released. The recommendations focus on wholesale markets and food aid hubs as key infrastructures within urban food systems.



1. Governance, Political Commitment and Stakeholder Engagement

• Embed food waste prevention and surplus redistribution as structural priorities within urban food policies, that should be in line with the waste hierarchy as presented in the Waste Framework Directive and prioritise prevention measures over waste management measures. These policies should be supported by strong and sustained political commitment beyond short-term cycles.
• Establish inclusive and coordinated governance frameworks, clearly defining roles and responsibilities among public authorities, wholesale market operators, wholesalers and Third Sector Organisations managing food aid hubs.
• Ensure multi-level governance alignment, integrating local actions within regional, national and EU food strategies.
• Promote continuous stakeholder engagement and consultation loops, enabling wholesalers and vendors to co-design redistribution strategies.
• Foster community engagement, raising awareness and involving local communities in food- sharing and surplus redistribution initiatives.

2. Economic Sustainability, Incentives and Enabling Frameworks

• Ensure that food waste prevention and surplus recovery are economically viable for all actors along the food chain, including wholesale markets and food aid hubs.
• Secure dedicated and stable public funding, moving beyond time-limited pilot projects.
• Introduce incentive and compensation mechanisms (e.g. fiscal benefits, financial rewards, recognition schemes, operational support) to promote best practices and activate wholesaler participation.
• Apply a balanced incentive-and-sanction approach, combining supportive measures with disincentives for avoidable food waste.
• Develop specific and enabling regulatory frameworks for food surplus recovery, tailored to the operational realities of wholesale markets and food aid hubs.

3. Prevention, Capacity Building and Cultural Change

• Develop and implement standardised food waste prevention protocols, particularly for handling, storage and transfer of fresh products such as fruit and vegetables.
• Strengthen capacity building and training for vendors, wholesalers and hub operators, focusing on product quality, redistribution standards and societal benefits.
• Promote a culture of proactive responsibility, encouraging actors to anticipate surplus generation and prioritise prevention and redistribution upstream.
• Support a cultural and rights-based shift, framing access to good, healthy and sustainable food as a collective responsibility and moving beyond emergency food aid models.

4. Digitalisation, Data Transparency and Operational Efficiency

• Deploy integrated digital tools and tracking systems linking wholesalers and food aid hubs to enable real-time monitoring of surplus flows.
• Ensure end to end traceability of products from wholesale markets to hubs and final beneficiaries, strengthening transparency and accountability.
  Promote transparent, standardised and publicly available food waste data, supported by harmonised indicators and reporting tools.
• Enhance logistics and operational efficiency through rapid collection and redistribution processes, minimising spoilage and losses.

5. Systemic Innovation, Learning and Replicability

• Adopt a systems and transition-oriented approach, positioning food waste prevention as a key lever for transforming urban food systems.
• Support pilot projects as experimentation spaces for innovative governance, business and logistical models.
• Promote communities of practice involving public authorities, wholesale markets, food aid hubs, civil society and research actors.
• Strengthen transnational knowledge exchange and peer learning through European networks and projects.
• Showcase successful practices and measurable impacts to facilitate scalingup, transferability and replication across cities and wholesale markets.