The Veneto Region has long been committed to the fight against food waste and redistribution of surplus food.
In fact, since 2011, with Regional Law 11, we have set out to enhance and promote activity carried out for the recovery of surplus food and their redistribution to those who assist people in a state of serious social hardship and poverty, through the model of Solidarity Shops.
The activities of this project have been consolidated and developed more and more over the years, also thanks to the impulse given by the so-called Gadda Law and the involvement of Federdistribuzione in 2017 to promote actions in the regional territory aimed at promoting and enhancing the donation of surplus food.

Currently, the Regional Network of Solidarity Shops is composed of 30 companies located across the region, managed by third sector and regional voluntary bodies that provide free and concrete help to more than 100 thousand people and 50 thousand families every year.
Direct-to-consumer stores (now the majority within the network) are real supermarkets where people can find food and non-food products independently and according to their needs to the extent agreed with the Listening Centre, which develops the project to support and help them out of their disadvantaged situation.
The projects of the Solidarity Shops also achieve many of the 2030 Agenda objectives for sustainable development, and in particular:

• Defeating poverty (Goal 1), which is achieved through the activities below
• Defeating hunger (Goal 2), thanks to the distribution of food aid to people in need, even momentarily
• Health and well-being (Goal 3) through food education for a healthy lifestyle that helps reduce some chronic diseases where poor diet is a risk factor
• Reducing inequalities (Goal 10), through personalised support paths aimed at empowerment and the enhancement of personal skills in order to facilitate finding a route out of poverty 
• Responsible consumption and production (Goal 12), promoting the recovery of foodstuffs that are no longer saleable but still fit for consumption or use, preventing them from becoming waste and promoting education on sustainability within the community 
• Partnership for the objectives (Goal 17), promoting cooperation for implementation of policies between public and private entities in various capacities.

The Solidarity Shop Network will play an important role in achieving the NET-ZERO WASTE objective of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, because through the mapping of production facilities, catering, supermarkets and mass distribution across the territory, it will be able to easily access the recovery of basic necessities that can no longer be sold but are still edible, allocating them to all the partners of the regional network to pass them on to people in need.
In addition, network partners will be responsible for the activities aimed at promoting, disseminating and raising awareness of initiatives to redistribute surplus food through communication and/or information campaigns on the importance of reducing waste.

Among the values promoted by the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, it is important to remember that of inclusion.

This issue has long occupied the regional political agenda, because a more inclusive society is a fairer, just and prosperous society, where each individual has the opportunity to realise their potential and contribute positively to the community.

To achieve this goal, the Veneto Region finances various projects with the aim of making people with different types of disabilities increasingly autonomous and less marginalised.

The "E-inclusion: Vedo-Sento-Ascolto-Capisco" project, in collaboration with regional health companies, hospitals and the Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV), will operate in continuity with the experiences and good practices already gained over the years in the territory. It aims to break down communication barriers for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, through various support activities of various kinds.

First of all, it will ensure the identification of pathways and documents to be made accessible through dedicated QR-codes that automatically launch universal accessibility content on the device in favour of deaf people, in different languages as well as in Italian Sign Language.

The technological supports must be placed at strategic reception points to facilitate access and, in the documents identified, to facilitate general information and communication with people.
Considering that the territories involved in the Games will potentially welcome a greater number of people with hearing impairments who may need particular information related to access to health, social and social services but also to convey general information messages in preparation for events, Local Health Authorities ULSS 1 and ULSS 9 will also implement their activities with specific content related to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

In addition, the use of remote video-interpreting computer platforms with ISL interpreters will be strengthened, as well as subtitling through the automatic transcription of speech in real time in social and health services such as Unique Access Points, URP (Public Information Offices), CUP (Hospital Central Booking Offices) and Emergency Rooms. This will ensure accessibility to information not only throughout the entire service chain for the deaf or hard of hearing person, but also in general as an important tool of inclusion and support in the preparation of the Winter Games.

Finally, in the provinces of Belluno and Verona, involved in the events, a package of in-person interpreting hours will be activated, by reservation, in favour of deaf signers, to respect the individual’s dignity and autonomy in healthcare decisions.