The Food Bank of Bouches-du-Rhône and the MIN of Marseille launch the anti-waste brand “Les Marmites Solidaires” – Restauration21
The model is intended to be duplicated throughout France by mobilizing regional farmers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Marseille MIN (13), Gérard Gros, President of the Bouches-du-Rhône Food Bank and Christian Burle, President of the Marseille Méditerranée Market, launched on January 24, at the Food’In Sud, the “Les Marmites solidaires” brand. It designates a range of jams, soups, juices and preserves made from unsold food from the MIN where, each year, nearly 3,000 tonnes of fresh food products are not consumed.
Production is carried out by the Association Fruits et Légumes Solidarité (AFLS), which is investing in the development of a food processing workshop on the wholesale market. This year, 300 tons of products were to be recovered there, the objective being to reach 800 tons within 3 years. Launched in December 2020, the workshop has a wide range of professional tools for processing and packaging fresh fruits and vegetables in various ways (jams, juices, soups, sauces, cooked or raw frozen products). The association employs 18 employees there in integration jobs.
75% of the workshop’s production will be redistributed via the network of solidarity associations, the rest being intended for sale in a circuit of specific points of sale. The “Les Marmites Solidaires” brand will also be brought to small and large retailers. For 1 product sold, 3 products will be donated and will allow people in precarious situations to have access to a balanced diet.
The proceeds generated by the sales make it possible to finance the operation and the investments necessary for the development of the activity.