Banco Alimentare and Cuki, the story of a great adventure: 10 years against food waste

On November 4, 2021 in the kitchen of Cooking School de The Italian kitchen, in Milan we cooked all day: in the kitchen the 15 students of the professional school Paolo Frisi and more or less well-known personalities. The purpose? To show live the idea that for over 30 years has made the world (a little) better. And that what we all say it should be – helping each other with social attention – can really happen with a little organization and a little generosity.

While in the kitchens the people at the stove alternated, gathered at a round table to tell the past and above all the future of the project Food Bank the many actors who make it possible every day (even during Covid), a “dream team” that helps in the process of collecting food from company canteens (which otherwise would be wasted) to offer it for free to 7,557 canteens and family homes that support over 1,600,000 people in difficulty, including over 140,000 children from 2 to 7 years old. Not a little: In 2020 alone, over 100,000 tons of food were distributed free of charge.

At the round table «10 years together against food waste“, the Minister of Equal Opportunities and the Family Elena Bonetti, l’Hon. Maria Chiara Gadda, first signatory of the law 166/2016 against food waste, the General Secretary of the Food Bank Marco Lucchini, with Corrado Ariaudo and Carlo Bertolino, respectively CEO and Marketing and CSR Manager of Cuki Cofresco. With them, too Maria Luisa Parmigiani, Head of Unipol Group sustainability and Director of the Unipolis Foundation e Paul of the Goose, Spokesperson of the Arché Foundation.

A moment to talk about the last ten years of work that have been guaranteed also thanks to the support of the Food Bank of Cuki, which provides free containers for the single portion of food, and Thermoboxes for transport, but also thanks to the law against food waste in 2016 which made the mechanism simpler. In short, thanks to the participation of many. “Today, wasting food is not only not fair, it is also not convenient. Investing in these choices means creating wealth. The donation mechanism represents the paradigm shift in which we must invest “, commented la Minister Bonetti opening the round table.

But the chat was also a moment to talk about the future “We are not here to get applause,” he said Corrado Ariaudo the CEO of Cuki «But also to ask other companies to help the project and the needs of the Food Bank. Ten years ago – he continues – social responsibility was not so widespread and we were in a complicated process of relaunching, but helping the Food Bank was not the subject of discussion ».

“Knowing that your company is committed not to waste is important for our employees, it is a strong affirmation of your brand also towards your employees” he confirmed Maria Luisa Parmigiani, Head of Unipol Group sustainability.

“We are here today to launch an appeal and we launch it to companies: do not be afraid to participate, after 32 years we are reliable”, he says Marco Lucchini of Banco Alimentare which started the project in 1989. The food surplus in Italy is estimated at 2.5 million tons per year. Banco Alimentare currently recovers about 50 thousand a year and the ambition is to get to recover more and more: thanks to incentives (tax credit), new means, more and more blast chillers in the kitchens (if there were more and more in the world of catering would save much more food), thanks to the transformation of fruit and vegetables to offer not only fresh but preserved fruit.