FoodWise Madagascar

Together against food waste & food insecurity.
Let's give food a second life - connecting surplus food to people!

FoodWise
FoodWise fights against food waste & food insecurity.
We help businesses redistribute surplus food in a secure & efficient way to children in need – at zero costs & zero carbon!

"Hunger is the world's greatest solvable problem "(WFP, 2019). If we could save all the food wasted, we could feed all the hungry people in the world!

This world's paradox is the reason why FoodWise exists! We don't need to produce more, we just need to better use and distribute our resources. 

Our adventures started in 2018 on Mauritius island with 7 co-founders. In 2019 we expanded our activities to Madagascar and in 2020 to Ivory Coast. The same year the initiative has been replicated to Morocco in partnership with Sustainable Food Solutions, who also accompanies Ivory Coast and Madagascar in its development.

Today we are an international team coming from 10 countries englobing different cultures and religions! A diverse & very dynamic team aged from 21 to over 50, in majority volunteers! This diversity is our magic and fuels our creativity & innovation!

#Madagascar #Mauritius #IvoryCoast #Morocco #Germany #France #Chile #Cameroon #Spain #Sweden 

Thanks to a zero cost & zero CO2 food sharing system! FoodWise is based on a food redistribution chain, using only already existing resources. The food is collected, transported, prepared, and shared without any additional costs involved:

Our major stakeholders in the food supply chain are the following:

Food Safety:
While we are committed to keeping our food sharing operations at zero cost, our aim is also to keep it at zero risks by taking all hygiene and food safety aspects into serious consideration.

We carefully assess and select our potential Food Donors and Food Receivers to make sure they meet all requirements to ensure food safety. We accompany the Food Donors and Receivers during the set-up of the food donation and distribution chain to make sure that all is done in line with food safety requirements. We support Food Receivers by providing hygiene materials & training, as well as relevant communication materials to help them spread the word.

Legal protection:
We developed a legal framework that protects all stakeholders involved in the food supply chain. Our disclaimer, which was revised nationally and internationally by legal experts, fits 100% to our purposes and assures that all legal risk which could occur due to food donations is avoided.

Impact in Madagascar:  

• 5,000 children reached + 2,000 during COVID in 28 centers of our Food Receivers  
• 35,000 Kg of food saved coming from 21 companies (14 frequent Food Donors)
• 66,000 kg of CO2 emissions avoided

Apart from our food sharing activity, we do a lot more things. From sensitizing people and governmental lobbying for zero food waste laws, up to zero waste workshops, zero food waste catering services, and consultancy services for the food industry.

OUR TARGET FOR 2021

Food Sharing

• 15 new Food Donors
• 5 new Food Transporters
• Growing the number of meals reached per child / per week at our 28 Food Receivers
• 5,000 beneficiaries trained on the zero-waste kitchen & refresh food safety knowledge

4 NEW PROJECTS IN 2021

I. FOOD TRANSFORMATION:
Empowerment of female micro-entrepreneurship through the artisanal transformation of surplus food
Together with GIZ, GFA, the commune of Ambalavao, the association Loharano, and the local food industry (Lecofruit), we will rehabilitate an existing fruit transformation unity to launch a valorization program for vegetables. Every day 500 kg of green beans - not suited for export - will be transformed into new value-added products such as chutneys and soups. These products will have a longer shelf life and will enable to create revenues for the women of the association who are transforming the products. FoodWise will help with food provision, train the women on entrepreneurship, food hygiene, zero waste recipes, and create a brand & marketing strategy to sell the products. Based on a shared revenue model we create a win-win situation for everyone!

Estimated results: 

• 12-20 green jobs created 
• 180 tonnes of food surplus transformed
• Rehabilitation of one transformation unit
• 1 common brand created for the products

II. SCHOOL CANTEENS:
Our first school feeding program!

The aim of this project is to establish school canteens for 3 public schools not having a facility to date. Together with the GFA, GIZ, the commune of Tanjombato and the CUA (Antananarivo Urban Council) we want to end this unequal reality of children going to school with an empty stomach. In order to be able to study correctly and make the brain functioning: food is essential.
 

Estimated results:

• 3 school canteens created
• 2,000 children served every school day
• 600,000 meals per year

III. INCUBATION PROGRAM :
A 2 months training program on food valorization to accompany COVID victims and vulnerable women back into a stable life in society 

We wish to implement a reinsertion program for the homeless of the Akany Iarivo Mivoy center/ Fondation AXIAN. Currently, a total of 300 beneficiaries are living in the center. The objective is to create a training program to bring these people back into society by creating work opportunities and empower them with all the necessary skills. 
For those interested in cooking, the insertion process will be supported by FoodWise with training on entrepreneurship, accounting, sales, communication, administration (how to create a legal entity), food safety, and all kind of potential job opportunities inside a sustainable food system (Urban agriculture, bio gaz, zero waste kitchen, etc.). Once the training finished, the beneficiaries will be micro-entrepreneurs able to create their own small business or work with FoodWise by integrating in the transformation unit (Project 1).

Estimated results:

• 300 beneficiaries  empowered to create a revenue-generating activity inside a sustainable food system

​IV. Digitalization 

We have a first beta version of our mobile application - A B2C marketplace to sell surplus food from the business at a reduced price to consumers looking for great deals. The app needs to be adjusted in order to be launched.
Further, the digitalization will automate processes that will enable the project to get spread more quickly and increase the impact.

Estimated results:

• Mobile App (B2C) launched

Ornella, is our national coordinator and the only person employed full-time on the projects in Madagascar. The co-founder Julia and some national and international volunteers help her. But as you might imagine, these are really few resources to reach our ambitious objectives.