Vantaa’s Food Waste Project Wins Prestigious Milan Pact Awards 2025
The City of Vantaa and Yhteinen pöytä’s collaborative initiative to reduce food waste has been internationally recognized with a Milan Pact Awards 2025 prize. The award was presented during the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) Global Forum held in Milan from October 14–16, 2025. Vantaa received the award for its innovative and impactful work in promoting sustainable urban food policy.
Yhteinen pöytä on toiminut Vantaalla jo 10 vuoden ajan.
In the EU co-funded Food Waste Ecosystem project, the City of Vantaa piloted the distribution of surplus food from local schools and restaurants through Yhteinen pöytä to people in need of food aid. Project partners included the City of Helsinki, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, and the Natural Resources Institute Finland. A recent pilot also explored the use of inedible food waste for energy production in collaboration with the startup Benerg.
The Milan Pact Awards is an annual recognition that highlights best practices in the food sector among cities. Vantaa joined the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact as the first Finnish city over a year ago and has now been acknowledged for its concrete actions in building a sustainable, inclusive, and fair food system. The operational model and impact of Yhteinen pöytä were presented to the Milan Pact Awards jury, which selected Vantaa as the winner in its category from among more than 300 cities.
We are very happy and proud that Vantaa’s unique development work in building a sustainable food system has received international recognition. This award shows that as a city, we can be a trailblazer and address global challenges with local solutions, said Mayor Pekka Timonen.
Mayor Pekka Timonen accepted the award on behalf of the City of Vantaa. The recognition strengthens the city’s position as a pioneer in sustainable development and food policy. Along with the award, Vantaa receives a €20,000 prize, which will be used to further develop the important work of Yhteinen pöytä.
Yhteinen pöytä is an award-winning and nationally recognized operational model developed by the City of Vantaa, Lutheran Church in Vantaa and a wide network. Yhteinen Pöytä combining food aid, food waste reduction, community building, and employment. It is Finland’s first municipally-led food waste terminal and serves as an example of cross-sector collaboration between the city, parishes, NGOs, and educational institutions. Yhteinen pöytä receives, sorts, and distributes surplus food from over 60 donors (wholesalers, stores, factories) to more than 90 distribution points across Vantaa. Food is distributed weekly to around 5,500 people, especially low-income elderly residents. In 2023, over 750,000 kg of food was distributed, and in 2024, around 680,000 kg. The number of people in need is increasing due to factors such as unemployment and tightening social support. In addition to donated food, Yhteinen pöytä is continuously seeking new corporate partners to support its operations.
More information:
Panu Vuorimaa, puh. 040 665 6076, panu.vuorimaa@vantaa.fi
