Yellow ribbons on fruit trees; Credit: C Bosseler

On Monday 2 September 2024, Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture issued guidelines on harvesting local fruit under the guise of the “Gielt Band - Hei dierft Dir plécken” campaign which has been relaunched for 2024.

The campaign asks: Are you the owner of fruit trees and do not know what to do with your excess fruit? Or are you a fan of good local fruit looking for trees that you can pick/harvest yourself? The anti-waste campaign “Gielt Band - Hei dierft Dir plécken” that the ministry has relaunched - for the 4th time - time is aimed at both.

"The aim of this successful campaign is to prevent hundreds of kilos of fruit from rotting on and under trees, and to promote local fruit," said the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, Martine Hansen. It is aimed at municipalities, associations, businesses and private owners of fruit trees who wish to make the fruit from their trees available to the public, by marking them with a yellow ribbon. The concept is simple: if a yellow ribbon is attached to a fruit tree, picking for personal use is permitted, and even encouraged, provided that the charter of use is respected.

Owners of fruit trees encouraged to mark their trees with yellow ribbons

This year, 64 municipalities showed solidarity by joining the collective initiative (participation in the campaign is renewed from year to year).

The "Gielt Band - Hei dierft Dir plécken" campaign begins each year with the cherry season and continues with the mirabelle, plum and later pear and walnut season. Among the fruit varieties, apple trees are by far the most numerous made available for this campaign, and the apple harvest begins, for the most part, in September. In Remich, the Wine Institute, under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, is also participating with its apple orchard.

In order to clarify the conditions of participation and to protect the trees, the following usage charters have been defined:

"Gielt Band" charter for pickers

- Only fruit on a tree marked with a yellow ribbon may be picked.
- It is forbidden to climb the tree or use a ladder.
- The tree must not be damaged.
- The fruit is for private use.
- Only take the amount of fruit one needs.
- Leave nature in the same state as one found it.
- Do not block access routes.
- Picking is at one's own risk.

“Gielt Band” charter for owners

- The tree whose fruit is available for picking and picking must be freely accessible.
- The tree may not be located on a meadow grazed by livestock.
- The yellow ribbon must be attached to the tree in a clearly visible manner.
- Each tree must be marked separately with a yellow ribbon.
- The yellow ribbon can be attached to or detached from the tree at any time.

Owners of trees or orchards that are further away can order signposts that the ministry provides free of charge (email: antigaspi@ma.etat.lu). The aim is to provide pickers with the best possible guidance.

Further practical information is available online at https://antigaspi.lu/

The "Gielt Band - Hei dierft Dir plécken" campaign is part of the ministry's strategy to combat food waste.