Want to Fight Food Waste? Check out the Project Equal Food from Lisbon!
When I enter the warehouse, a fresh and tasty smell of oranges, bananas, and melons already wafts towards me. A couple of other women and men are waiting in the hall, and I feel immediately welcome even though I'm a bit nervous about what to expect. But I’m excited for the new challenge and being part of a movement close to my heart - tackling and reducing food waste!
Ready for pick-up …
Today, I’m volunteering for a local business from Lisbon, called Equal Food. My friend has already volunteered at the small start-up a few times and has been urging me to drop by ever since. Fine, I say, without knowing what I'm getting myself into, and so I'm at Parque Novas Nações on Wednesday at 9.30 a.m. on the dot, ready to be picked up. There are seven of us sitting in a small van, six volunteers to pack the boxes, and one driver who takes us to the warehouse. We drive a bit to the north of Lisbon, near the airport, and finally arrive at the hall. Lukas and Alberto, the two founders of The Equal Food Co., and other hard-working helpers are already expecting us. Every Wednesday morning, volunteers help pack and fill Equal Food’s fruit and vegetable boxes. The benefit? A full mixed box of tasty goods for your own consumption and leftovers as much as you can carry! I didn't realise how much that would end up being, but more on that later.
Saving the world through food?
Many of us have certainly already thought a time or two about the unjust and environmentally damaging current conditions in the food sector. Some may have even wanted to act, and still others may have done so. I have also often thought about where and how I can best help and use my own resources for a better future. But then I also helplessly wondered where exactly I should start with such a massive and global phenomenon? And how can I make sure that my help reaches the right people and improves the environment in the long term? There is certainly no shortage of volunteer work and providers of social services! But are they a real asset to society and do they pursue the right goals?
When Lukas and Alberto turned their attention to the food industry in 2019, they asked themselves the same questions as the rest of us and began by questioning the current status quo of food systems and supply chains in the sector. In doing so, they sadly discovered that many factors are massively wrong and realised that both large amounts of edible products are wasted, and unsustainable and inefficient supply chains persist (sometimes even being favoured over more sustainable and local supply chains).
Did you know?
A study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 2013 shows that about one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted every year!
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), proclaimed by the UN in 2017, call for a fairer, socially acceptable, and sustainable world.
SDG number 2 "End Hunger" addresses the problems of food waste and unfair distribution, and demands a shift in handling the food industry around the world.
Around 45.4 million children under the age of 5 worldwide suffer from food being wasted. And the Corona pandemic has now made this even worse.
According to the UN, about 70-161 million more people are suffering from hunger worldwide because of the pandemic.
The local impact of Equal Food
With a mission to challenge the current "beauty standards'' in the food sector and make all fruits - whether a bit howled, brownish, or crooked - "sexy" again, Lukas and Alberto eventually founded Equal Food in 2019, aiming to do their part for a better and more sustainable future. Starting right here in Portugal, they want to fight against massively wasted food and offer regional, seasonal, and imperfect fresh products to their customers. By working exclusively with local producers, being meticulous about equal treatment of all involved, and ensuring that all food is grown, harvested, and distributed properly.
Particularly Equal Food's concept of promoting "imperfect" food and using only seasonal and local products, they guarantee a sustainable and fair approach to both food consumption and distribution.
They are thus tackling two massive problems:
That everything has to look perfect and be available at any time in order to be accepted by the industry and consumed by the people
That food supply chains are arranged and supported in unsustainable ways, neglecting local opportunities and regional agriculture
“We’re here to change that and we look forward to a world where all food count and nothing goes to waste”, Equal Food is therefore promoting on their website.
And what’s next?
Today, almost three years later, there are already six people involved in the project and 2000 people have been reached out in the Lisbon region since the beginning. Their goal is to soon be available in other regions of the country and to further expand the network of sustainable and fair farming to end consumers all over Portugal.
I really hope that they keep on being so successful with their project and wish them all the best for the future! The products that Equal Foods offers are in any case delicious! I was able to take home a huge box full of lemons, oranges, tomatoes, melons, raspberries, broccoli, potatoes, mushrooms, and much more and my flatmates were still eating from it for days later and extremely happy about it! So, I will continue to come as a volunteer and support the two, Lukas and Alberto, in their goals while trying to contribute a little bit to a better world myself.
Words by Paulina Fried
Imagery by Equal Food