A mobile application, training sessions, and an awareness-raising campaign to reduce food waste
The results of two years of professional work were presented on Friday, 26 June, in Miercurea Ciuc at the closing event of the project “Preventing Food Waste in Harghita County” – Food Savers.
Led by the Harghita County Council and implemented in partnership with the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita) and the Harghita County Rural Development Association, the project aimed to increase awareness among urban residents and hospitality sector workers regarding food waste, thereby reducing the amount of food waste generated in cities. The project was supported by the European Commission’s Single Market Programme.
Erika Zonda, Director of the Programmes and Projects Directorate of the Harghita County Council, welcomed the participants and briefly presented the project. She noted that the 24-month initiative had a total budget of €298,208.91, 50% of which was financed by the European Commission. Project activities included the development of a mobile application, training for the hospitality sector, a professional study visit to South Tyrol, a public awareness campaign, and surveys.
Csaba Borboly, President of the Rural Development Association, was also present at the closing event. In his speech, he emphasized that preventing food waste is not only an environmental and economic issue, but also a social one. He pointed out that significant quantities of still-consumable food are discarded daily, while for many people in need, these could represent real support. He also spoke about the experiences gained within the project, the potential for adapting international best practices locally, and the objective of establishing a properly functioning food bank in Harghita County, which would enable, for example, food nearing its expiration date but still safe for consumption to reach those in need.
The practical results of the project were presented by Réka Balázs, the project manager. She introduced the training sessions organized for hospitality sector professionals and gastronomy students, through which 100 participants acquired practical knowledge on reducing food waste.
She also presented the Food Savers mobile application, which supports households in managing food more consciously by tracking home food supplies and expiration dates, offering recipe suggestions based on available ingredients, assisting with shopping planning, and contributing to the reduction of food waste. She also mentioned that, as part of the project, a professional study visit to South Tyrol was organized, where participants explored European best practices in sustainable hospitality and food waste prevention.
Following this, Hanna Imets, representing the Rural Development Association, presented the results of the surveys conducted within the project. The initial and final research examined food consumption and waste habits among urban residents of Miercurea Ciuc, Odorheiu Secuiesc, and Gheorgheni, involving a total of 1,200 consumers.
Zelinda Páll, a staff member of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita), presented the results of the awareness-raising campaign built around the slogan “Still good to eat. Save it!”. As part of the project, 30 awareness videos, recipe videos, guides, and social media content were produced to highlight the importance of reducing food waste and promoting conscious consumer behavior.
The project results, download options for the Food Savers mobile application, as well as the videos and additional useful information produced during the campaign are all available on the project’s official Linktree page: https://linktr.ee/food_savers
At the end of the event, Erika Zonda stated that the project had been well received, and therefore the partners intend to continue the initiated activities and are already seeking new funding opportunities. She added that Harghita County’s title as European Region of Gastronomy 2027 will further draw attention to food waste prevention, the value of local products, and the role of sustainable gastronomy.
Miercurea Ciuc, 29 June 2026
