Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

The "Valore" project launched to enhance the redistribution of surplus fresh products: around 10 million portions of fruit and vegetables per year - Photo gallery

Milan, 15 December 2021 – "Value: Valuing the LOgics of RECOVERY" was presented today at the Sogemi business center, the project selected with the "Foody zero waste" tender launched last January 2021 by the Cariplo Foundation in collaboration with the Municipality of Milan and Sogemi in The scope of the city's food policy implementation actions began in September.

With this initiative, the number of hubs in the city is expanding: the one opening today in Municipality 4 at Foody – Milan's agri-food market follows the openings in the Isola (Municipio 9), Lambrate (Municipio 3) and Gallaratese (Municipal 8) neighborhoods and represents the evolution of the fruit and vegetable hub, developed during the 2020 lockdown, thanks to which 138 tons of fresh products were distributed in eight weeks of activity.

The selected project involves the University of Milan as leader and three Third Sector entities for the collection and redistribution of surpluses from the agri-food market: Recup, Lombardy Food Bank, contributing to structuring and improving its ongoing activity, through the network capillary of the Italian Red Cross - Southern Milan Area Committee.

The main objective of the "Value" project is to develop a virtuous circle that prevents the destruction of products that can be put back into the human diet through the collection, selection and redistribution of surpluses coming from traders, wholesalers and producers and to redistribute them to people and families in difficulty thanks to a dense network of local organisations.

"The Municipality's commitment to reducing food waste continues and is consolidated through collaboration with various partners – states the Deputy Mayor of Milan delegated to Food policy Anna Scavuzzo –. Together with Fondazione Cariplo and Sogemi we have added a new piece in the recovery actions of surpluses in one of the most important places in the distribution of food in Milan: the fruit and vegetable market. The involvement of new subjects who are an active part of the food system, sensitive to the importance of reducing waste and available to encourage the recovery of surpluses, will be fruitful for social purposes".

Thus, actions in the city against food waste are implemented, aiming at the growing involvement of different subjects already involved in the topic, to amplify the positive impacts generated by an increasingly sustainable and inclusive food policy.

"This activity of recovering surpluses has been systematised, thanks to the dialogue and collaboration between many public and private actors – says Claudia Sorlini, vice-president of the Cariplo Foundation –. It is a virtuous action that allows us to reduce waste and the consequent environmental impact, simultaneously helping those in need and who deserve to be gradually strengthened with the expansion of alliances in order to reach a greater number of beneficiaries. From this perspective, Fondazione Cariplo integrates the actions of Milan's food policy with other initiatives, including for example 'QuBi Programme, the recipe against child poverty', also contributing to combating inequalities".

"In 2019 we collected around 1.500 tonnes of fresh food from the Milan fruit and vegetable market thanks to the commitment and collaboration of producers and wholesalers and the participation of third sector entities carrying out the collection. Sogemi has always been committed to promoting initiatives and actions of food solidarity and it is of great interest and pride for us to continue to collaborate with Food Policy of Milan in such an important project of sustainability and food recovery - adds Cesare Ferrero, president of Sogemi". 
 
The contribution foreseen for the implementation of the activities will be dedicated to the management strengthening and capacity building of the bodies involved, to the setting up of a dedicated checkpoint for monitoring the quality and quantity of recovered surpluses, as well as to the definition of some action protocols and good practice manuals.

At the center of the analysis will be placed the qualitative and safety aspects of fruit and vegetable products suitable for redistribution processes, packaging systems and the management of redistribution for social purposes. The impact of the action will be monitored by the State University of Milan which, through the numbers collected, will evaluate the existing potential for the development of the project.

"The involvement of the University of Milan will make it possible to develop and adopt operational practices aimed at guaranteeing the quality control of food surpluses and their better logistical management, with the aim of reaching the highest number of users but above all with better nutritional guarantees and with lower environmental and economic impacts – underlines Sara Limbo, researcher of the DEFENS department of the State University of Milan.

"This project represents a concrete and relevant opportunity to expand the mix of products donated to charitable structures, encouraging a balanced diet for the people who need it most – states Dario Boggio Marzet, President of the Lombardy Food Bank –. The combination of food quality and dignity of person is particularly dear to us, which is why we believe a lot in this project and in the importance of synergy between the partners involved".

"The Valore project – reiterates Alberto Piccardo, president of RECUP APS – confirms the consolidation of an action born spontaneously during the most complex period of the pandemic. Continuing to work within the fruit and vegetable market in direct synergy with partners with decades of experience will amplify our impact and will involve more and more people in the fight against food waste, both from the point of view of active citizenship and with respect to the direct awareness of the operators of the Milanese agri-food system".

"With our widespread distribution network – confirms Danilo Esposito, president of the Italian Red Cross - Southern Milan Area Committee – we are able to reach a pool of beneficiaries located in our reference area, also through the circuit of mobile assistance units to the homeless in Milan".