VdF welcomes "Yellow Ribbon" harvest campaign
News General news
Save scattered fruit. That is the goal of the "Yellow Ribbon" harvest campaign. The Association of the German Fruit Juice Industry e. V. (VdF) very much welcomes this initiative, as it and its members promote the preservation of valuable meadow orchards as important biotopes in Germany. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the ministries of the federal states are calling for participation in this project, among others, as part of the campaign week "Germany saves food", from September 29 to October 6, 2021.
Taking part is easy: Anyone who owns a fruit tree marks the respective tree with a yellow ribbon, which signals that the fruit there may be harvested free of charge and without consultation.
The VdF sees the measure as an important action to save food, which at the same time creates awareness of the importance of meadow orchards for the environment and nature.
In the past, fruit has been left lying and rotting in many orchard meadows. The Esslingen district has found a sensible solution for this fruit with the "Yellow Ribbon" campaign. An idea that was so well received that it was awarded the federal prize "Too good for the garbage can!" in the category "Agriculture & Production" in 2020 and has already inspired many other communities throughout Germany to imitate it.
For all those who see the trees marked with yellow ribbons and want to pick a little more, Klaus Heitlinger, managing director of the VdF, has a tip: "Many of our juice producers offer the so-called contract must system. The principle is simple: bring your own harvested fruit to a collection point for contract must, have it weighed there, and then receive the corresponding amount of juice or a voucher."
