As its name suggests, On.perfekt buys imperfect food and resells it, either in its shop in Marnach or in the form of vegetable boxes. Its staff also visit schools and events to raise awareness about food waste. For three years, until the end of June, these activities were supported through an agreement with the state.
"The funding allowed us to pay colleagues working on these projects", said Marie-Anne Diesel, a member of On.perfekt's committee.
On.perfekt had been expecting the financial support to continue, particularly after receiving written confirmation of a renewal on 25 June.
"Then, two weeks before the deadline, we were told: 'No, actually, it won't be possible. We can't renew it after all'", Diesel said. Because the decision came at such short notice, the organisation had already planned to continue its activities as before and had included projects in its budget.
On.perfekt says it cannot understand the reasons for ending the agreement. It had also requested a meeting with the Environment Ministry but received no response.
The ministry's letter stated that a societal impact company (société d'impact sociétal) could not receive support, Diesel explained. However, she said nothing about the company's status had changed since 2023, when the previous agreement was signed.
According to Diesel, the ministry has since confirmed that On.perfekt will continue to receive financial support until the end of the year so that it can carry on with its projects. What happens after that remains unclear.
One employee responsible for awareness-raising work in schools has already left the organisation and will not be replaced. Under the planned new agreement, however, On.perfekt had intended to expand this work further, including into secondary schools.
The issue has now also reached parliament, with MPs André Bauler and Luc Emering of the Democratic Party (DP) submitting a question to the government. The Environment Ministry has yet to respond.
