The Luxembourg yellow ribbons have made their way to France

Luxembourg’s programme to combat food waste has crossed the border and officially launched in the French commune of Villerupt. The idea behind the initiative is extremely simple: a yellow ribbon tied round the trunk of a fruit tree serves as a sign that anyone is free to pick its fruit, free of charge.

The Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture launched this project five years ago. The main aim is to save fruit from rotting that would otherwise simply have fallen to the ground. At the same time, the programme helps to promote local, seasonal produce and strengthens social ties within communities.

Within the Grand Duchy, the initiative has already taken on impressive proportions. Seventy-five municipalities have joined the scheme, and around 4,500 trees have been marked with yellow ribbons. You can find out their exact locations and the available fruit varieties on the dedicated website antigaspi.lu.

Now, our French neighbours are following suit with this successful environmental initiative. In Villerupt itself, 69 trees have been marked with special ribbons. The neighbouring municipalities of Audun-le-Tiche and Ottange have also joined the project.

Luxembourg’s Minister for Agriculture, Martine Hansen, emphasised that the ribbons are not merely decorative, as people are actually actively harvesting the crops. According to her, the development of such a simple method of tackling food waste outside the country is a significant achievement.