When it was launched in October 2021, the All at the Table movement It had five members. Just over a year later, the first Brazilian coalition of companies and organizations to fight hunger and waste food sector has 22 partners — and is looking for more allies to redistribute food to those who need it most.
This was one of the topics that were discussed at a leadership meeting held on March 21, at the iFood headquarters, in Osasco (SP).
“We chose to start with industry and markets because food is easier to handle”, explains André Borges, head of sustainability at iFood. “We wanted to strengthen our logistical relationship and support chain to start discussing how to take this agenda to restaurants.”
He explains that, as iFood is a platform that works with food, it has a fundamental role in promoting connections. “This is the most relevant delivery we have today: talking to different actors and putting everyone at the same table to discuss problems and solutions”, he summarizes.
This collective intelligence is considered fundamental to combating hunger in Brazil, reinforces Alcione Silva, founder and CEO of ConnectingFood, a social business that coordinates the redistribution of food donated at Todos à Mesa.
“The world’s major systemic and humanitarian problems will only be solved if we come together: governments, private companies, social organizations, large associations,” he stated at the event.
“Collaboration is always the best way, which is why we hope that more companies will join us in this important project”, agrees Enrique Rueda, vice president of People Management at Nestlé Brasil.
Partners in impact
So far, Todos à Mesa has redistributed 7,000 tons of food to 2.8 million people. Now, the coalition wants to increase this positive impact, which surprised one of the guests to perform at the event: Vera Eunice de Jesus, daughter of Carolina Maria de Jesus, author of “Quarto de Despejo: Diário de Uma Favelada” — where she tells her story reality as a paper collector who raises three children on the outskirts of São Paulo.
“My mother left me in charge of propagating memory and fighting so that people no longer experience what we went through in the past”, says Vera. “Unfortunately, it’s difficult, but today was a big step for us to alleviate hunger in our country.”
The connections proposed by Todos à Mesa involve efforts to increasingly expand this network, as highlighted by Carlos André Bauducco, director of New Business and shareholder at Bauducco, who also participates in the movement.
“It is our commitment to bring in new companies. It’s very impactful to be part of this”, says the executive. “The word 'hunger' doesn't go with waste, especially in a food company. There are a lot of good things being thrown away, and this cannot happen while people are going hungry.”
Combating waste is also a priority at Danone, which has an ambitious agenda. “We are committed to reducing waste by 50% by 2030”, says Edson Higo, CEO of the company in Brazil.
“Being part of this coalition reinforces our impact business model. When we talk about avoiding waste, this has to do not only with food security, but also with climate change.”
Alexandre Carreteiro, CEO of PepsiCo Brasil Alimentos, highlights that the mobilization of the private sector is decisive in bringing hope and opportunities to people who find themselves in situations of social vulnerability. “We managed to raise awareness and engage the population in joining PepsiCo and other companies to be part of this movement that is so important for our country. It is through unity that we will be effective in this action”, he says.
Letter of intent
At the end of the meeting, the 22 companies participating in Todos à Mesa signed a letter of intent for the next steps of the movement.
The letter includes four guidelines considered fundamental for the project to reach a state of greater and better contribution to society. Are they:
- Develop and encourage actions to combat hunger through food donations and strengthening the ecosystem, including companies in the chain, organizations, projects and public policies;
- Raise awareness and raise awareness among stakeholders involved in the day-to-day operations of companies about the importance and urgency of combating waste;
- Mobilize efforts and technological, human, financial and communication resources to support the actions of the Todos à Mesa movement, which includes the visibility of data related to waste to help guide actions to reduce and mitigate its impacts;
- Act as ambassadors for the cause, inspiring and inviting leaders from other companies to join the movement and helping to increase the visibility and relevance of the topic in society.
The event with Todos à Mesa leaders also marked the launch of the Donation Guide, a manual prepared by the Movement to guide companies that wish to implement food donation processes.
