iStock/Roman Mykhalchuk
In a country of just over 215 million people, in 2022, the scale of hunger continues to rise in Brazil. According to a recent survey, only four out of 10 families had whole food. The rest is divided between those facing some form of food insecurity, adding those who are hungry and those who fear not having food in the future.
Ashutosh Vashishtha created a design capable of generating electricity, based on the undeniable precept of electromagnetism.
At the same time, a 2018 FAO report indicated that around 26. 3 million tonnes of food were wasted annually in Brazil. This has led to a wide variety of negative outcomes, such as more wasted resources and higher costs for consumers.
In an effort to alleviate hunger in the country and combat food waste, a Brazilian app looks for those disruptions through geolocation technology.
The main goal of the Invisible Food app is to unite those who have food to find with those who want it. Beyond offering a fundamental desire, the initiative also aims to decrease food consumption and collaborate to decrease greenhouse gases and losses similar to the poor quality of food distribution networks. The social startup, called “Comida Invisível” in Portuguese, created through Brazilian lawyer Daniela Leite, who serves as the project’s executive director.
According to information from the United Nations (UN), according to the knowledge of 54 countries, approximately 931 million tons of food were wasted through food producers, advertising institutions and families in 2019. This amount accounted for about 32% of total global food consumption. Production that year. Of this total, about 14% of all food produced worldwide is lost between harvest and retail, while about 11% is wasted on families, 5% on food service and 2% on retail.
In other words, we are talking about a global that affects both evolved and underdeveloped countries. It is an environmental, economic and social issue.
“We want to give the right food the right destination, because it’s society and the planet,” Leite says.
Currently, Invisible Food reaches more than 4,000 Americans who give and/or receive donations, more than 400 NGOs that obtain donations and just over 150 corporations that donate. donors to those assisted. The result of this initiative represents more than 190 tons of food donated to more than 3 million people in Brazil since the startup was founded five years ago.
One of these beneficiary organizations is Projeto Arrastão, located in Campo Limpo, a district in the southern region of São Paulo. It supplies needy families for educational and cultural projects, for the progression of quality of life and for emergency movements against hunger. Donations included fruits, vegetables, bread and even chocolates for young people. According to Paulo Masagão, president of Projeto Arrastão, avoiding waste is an essential component of the broader fight against hunger. The initiative is helping to achieve this purpose by allowing purchases to be replaced through express items.
“Giving food is dedicating oneself to a cause that saves lives because it promises the survival of families in need. Rising unemployment and the cost of food make food a challenge for millions of Brazilians living in deprived communities,” Masagão said.
By registering on the platform, donors can list the foods they must have for donation (which must be in good condition), the expiration date, and how the collection will take place (whether the donor will deliver it or whether the recipient will have to pick it up). Those who obtain, whether American or an NGO, can submit an application through the application, and once the donor accepts the request, the next step is to schedule through the chat how the delivery will be made. . It is not uncommon for there to be several other people interested in the same donation, in which case the donor will have to decide who they want to give to.
When registering the item to donate, a photo can also be added, and it is vital to understand the characteristics of the item, such as the expiration date, how it deserves to be preserved or if the recipient deserves to carry a thermal bag when picking up the food. While Americans can sign up to make and get donations, the top donors are businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, etc. It is important to emphasize that the sale of products is not allowed through the site, since this platform will have to be used exclusively for the donation of new products, processed products and meals in position. Those who search for food regularly should be quick because once a food has entered the platform as available, it takes on average less than 10 minutes to locate a recipient. In addition, companies often prioritize establishments (daycare centers, orphanages, NGOs, etc. ) over American ones.
In Europe, there are a number of applications that aim to fight food waste, but tend to work by promoting surplus food from bakeries, markets and restaurants at a cheaper price. Apps like Too Good To Go and Phenix add other people with advertising institutions that have surplus food, such as bread, cakes, fruits, vegetables, and other foods, which they offer at discounted prices. Customers search for food nearby and then pay through the app. Companies save costs, consumers get food cheaper, and surpluses are used to satisfy someone’s hunger instead of ending up in the trash. However, compared to those two European platforms, Invisible Food has a more charitable purpose, as it provides food than promoting it.
Invisible food
Food donations have never been illegal in Brazil. Brazilian Law 14. 016/20 allows institutions that produce food to donate surplus for free, as long as they still have compatibility for human consumption. Products will also need to meet certain criteria, such as being stored in garage situations specified by the manufacturer.
This law passed, in part, due to considerations that donors can be held liable in case someone who eats donated food gets sick. As for this concern, the platform tries to explain this factor by explaining that there will only be liability if it is proven that a donor deliberately tried to harm someone. In addition, the recipient assumes the duty of the donated food and undertakes to purchase and care for it responsibly.
The entire donation procedure of Invisible Food follows this Brazilian law, in force since 2020, as well as the Good Food Management Practices policy of sanitary surveillance. Right kind of misconceptions about duty that prevented some in Brazil from donating food.
The pandemic has further exacerbated the hunger situation in the country. According to data from the National Survey on Food Insecurity in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil, conducted through the PENSSAN network (Brazilian Research Network on Food Sovereignty and Security), 33. 1 million Brazilians do not have enough to eat. A recent survey highlighted that more than a part (58. 7%) of the Brazilian population faces some kind of lack of food confidence of varying degrees: mild, moderate or severe (hunger), explained through FAO as the lack of normal access to sufficient food and nutritious food for general expansion and progression and for an active and healthy life. The survey was conducted in five regions of the country between November 2021 and April 2022.
Initiatives like the Invisible Food platform show that a waste-free planet is possible, where Americans and businesses can play a role in fighting global hunger and economic inequality. It also illustrates how generation can contribute to the progression of a more sustainable economy.