More than 5,000 families in Medellín receive 154 tons of food recovered from market squares
In a city like Medellín, where tons of food are wasted every day, despite people going hungry, news indicating that what could have ended up in the trash is now reaching the tables of thousands of families should be classified as very positive. And it is that the Mayor's Office of Medellín reported that, thanks to the joint work with 230 fruit and vegetable merchants from the Minorista, Campo Valdés, and La Placita de Flórez markets, 154 tons of food that were still in good condition have been recovered and distributed for the consumption of the most needy. Fruits, vegetables, and tubers that were not sold, but that are still fit for consumption, have been utilized and delivered to those who need them most. In total, more than 6,000 food packages with these products have reached 5,027 households in the Antioquian capital in vulnerable situations, helping to improve their nutrition with fresh and varied foods. In addition to direct delivery, some of the food has also been transformed to last longer. In fact, more than eight tons of them were turned into pulps, jams, pickles, sauces, dressings, arepas, and dehydrated products. In this way, it is avoided that they are lost and they are better utilized. "In our home, there are four people. The food supplement that the Mayor's Office is providing us has helped us a lot, because there were days when we didn't eat or there wasn't enough for the four of us. The package contains tomatoes, onions, plantains, bananas, and many other vegetables, and it has been a great support for our family," said Santiago Cano Bedoya, a beneficiary of the project. But the program goes further, as the products that could no longer be consumed by any method were also not wasted. About 17,880 kilos were used to make compost, contributing to environmental care and reducing the amount of waste. "Hand in hand with the merchants from the market squares, we are transforming food, generating products suitable for human consumption and avoiding waste. This alliance shows us that, when we work in an articulated way between the private sector and the citizenry, we can take Medellín to another level," affirmed the Secretary of Inclusion, Luz María Ramírez.
