In July 2021, the first food-sharing event took place at Frihamnstorget. Following this, a weekly group gathered throughout the summer to distribute food. To ensure fairness, participants drew lottery tickets to determine their place in line, randomizing who got the "first picks." During the winter, two fridges were installed, allowing people to access the food directly.

Despite thousands of kilos of fresh food being wasted daily in Stockholm, the workgroup faced significant challenges in finding willing donors. The decision to donate often depends on the supermarket chain—either resting with individual store managers or with central management. In the case of store managers, they need to be motivated to take on the additional work involved. Conversely, reaching higher-level decision-makers in central management can be a major hurdle.

Legally, forming an association for food sharing is complicated, as it makes the group responsible for the food they distribute and opens them up to possible lawsuits. There is no clear legal framework for this, so once the group becomes an association, they must follow strict food safety rules. These legal challenges create big obstacles for what is otherwise a great initiative.

Interestingly, most of the people involved in food sharing were from abroad. The community formed a strong, international group that operated successfully for almost three years. For future efforts, implementing an organizational structure with explicit leadership could greatly benefit the next generation, ensuring that responsibilities are voluntarily and clearly assumed. Hopefully, another local group will take up the work, establish an association, and help save even more food.

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