Yellow Ribbon" harvest campaign
Most of the fruit from trees that are not harvested spoils and rots on the ground. The city of Wiesbaden is counteracting this food waste with the "Yellow Ribbon" harvest campaign.
Apples, pears, plums and other fruit are often not harvested from trees in meadows and field margins because owners do not keep up with harvesting the fruit or simply have no interest in doing so. The city of Wiesbaden is counteracting this waste with the Yellow Ribbon.
Harvesting allowed
Anyone wishing to release fruit from their own tree for the general public to harvest can do so by marking it with the yellow ribbon. This signals: Fruit may be picked here without being asked and for personal use or fruit that has already fallen from the tree may be picked up free of charge. In this way, the fruit is put to good use.
Yellow Ribbon Harvest Campaign - Harvesting is allowed here
Join in
The yellow ribbons are available at all Wiesbaden local authorities and the Umweltladen. Tear-proof, environmentally friendly paper ribbons are issued, as they are also used in forestry. You can also publish the location of your tree on this page so that not only the citizens in the immediate vicinity are informed. This makes it easier for interested parties to find your tree.
Legal information
Fruit tree owners take part in the campaign at their own risk. The state capital of Wiesbaden accepts no liability. Therefore, make sure that obvious sources of danger on the property are excluded in order to prevent damage to others.
Would you like to harvest fruit?
So that you and others can enjoy the campaign, we ask you to observe the following rules of conduct when harvesting: Please only harvest from trees and bushes that have the appropriate yellow ribbon. Only these have been approved for harvesting by their owners. And only harvest as much as you can actually use. Be mindful of nature and respect the property of others. Treat the fruit trees with care.
Goals of the harvest campaign
Every year, around twelve million tons of food along the entire food supply chain end up as waste in Germany - a large proportion of which is fruit and vegetables. Everyone should take action to reduce food waste. The harvest campaign connects fruit tree owners with consumers and draws attention to regional and seasonally available fruit. Harvesting and picking the fruit yourself creates a direct connection to this food and a more conscious, appreciative approach to food.
The "Yellow Ribbon" harvesting project was created as part of the nationwide campaign week for greater food appreciation organized by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and inspired many other communities throughout Germany to join the campaign. The harvest campaign is part of the implementation of the National Strategy to Reduce Food Waste.