Yerma Vilar, journalist of FoodRation4all.
The social, economic and technological impact and innovation project ‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria’ (NSSRD) was born with the intention of improving the current system of food donations and, in turn, with the purpose of favoring the social integration of people at risk of exclusion. Currently, it has managed to raise in Castellón a sum of 66.255 euros over 3,200 donations that have been made possible through a mobileapp, available on iOs and Android, and thanks to a single totem (machine donations) located periodically in a supermarket Consum and another machine installed in the Jaume I University, in addition to some contributions from private entities.
In what context is the project born?
Aporophobia, phobia or rejection towards poor people was the term chosen as word of the year in 2017 and marked the starting point of the project. According to some studies,3 out of 10 Spaniards are at risk of social exclusion and one of the derived problems points to the system of management, collection and distribution of food donations. The FoodRation4all company created the ‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria.’ initiative precisely to transform this inefficient and rudimentary system into a completely renewed, effective, agile, transparent, safe and versatile one.
An “outdated” procedure with more problems than advantages
Thus, after extensive and deep market research and the materialization of development, the project began last August 2020 to give a 180º turn to the situation. Until now, food donations were seasonal and urgent, involving large physical collections. The computerization of these was limited and outdated and, consequently, the involvement of timely donors in collection campaigns and virtually zero for the rest of the year, also due to the lack of linkage and confidence due to the lack of transparency in the system.
Supermarkets related to participation in campaigns to contribute socially with entities, generated high expenses and a collapse in their workflow, operational and HR. In the same way it happened with the social spaces involved (OAD and OAR), whose expenses in logistics management, transport and distribution of food exceeded their economic capacities. Not forgetting the over-demand of people at risk of exclusion who came to the doors of canteens and social spaces, even more during the pandemic and to date.
To this was added the lack of space to store the collected food, the repetitiveness of the same, all of them non-perishable, and the difficulty on the part of the beneficiary people, to acquire fresh and perishable food, for a physical issue in which they were granted the lots. In addition to the massive need for volunteering during the campaigns and, very importantly, the high pollution and CO2 footprint, produced by the logistical movements of transporting food.
Digitization of the system, transparency of the process and social inclusion
Once the drawbacks of the old system of food donations were detected ‘ ‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria’ launched a comprehensive system that includes different elements of improvement, based on digital transformation through the use of advanced technologies, donor experience, new logistics and, not least, a remarkable reduction of the CO2 footprint.
This required, first of all, the creation of a mobile app, which has been an important source of income from donations by users, which are already close to 1000 registered. Likewise, two totems were installed that have been rotating through five supermarkets of the Consum chain in the province, the Jaume I University and, for a few days, in the shopping center of El Corte Inglés de Castellón. And in addition, donors were offered social-emotional experiences in virtual reality as a reward for their donations, as an educational way of showing the process and social situation.
All this under a blockchain system, which consists of the public registry of digital operations, in order to ensure the transparency of the project’s actions and, therefore, obtain the trust of donors, who can know in detail the fate of their contributions. The Food Bank of Castellón, which has occupied the role of beneficiary entity in this process, has received a daily average of 550 euros to be able to supply people in need, during the last quarter of 2020.
‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria’ is the only system that allows the total amount donated to be converted entirely into wallet cards for beneficiaries
Likewise, in order to avoid the social exclusion of those who require this aid, around 1200 ‘purse cards’ of the Consum food chain are being provided, so that they can go personally to supermarkets and thus avoid “hunger queues”, which put their dignity at risk. This novelty has allowed social entities greater control and fluidity of the process.
With the digitization of the system, donations are now daily and food waste is reduced to zero, since any type of physical limitation is eliminated by suppressing the usual logistics, saving large costs for social entities and training them in monitoring and control in real time.
Constantly growing social movement
By not requiring any logistical or physical movement that prevents the work of social entities, the project continues to work at maximum performance during the current reality affected by covid. The activity has not been interrupted, but, at such a time, solidarity emerges and must be applied effectively and efficiently. Now more than ever, altruistic gestures are needed from home, to try to help the more than 13 million people who are at risk of social exclusion in Spain.
‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria’ has shown through results that it is a prepared system and has the necessary capacity to be replicated at national level, going first through the implementation at regional level. During the year 2021 Nadie sin su ración diarian will be gradually implemented in the different provinces of the country through social entities, food banks and FESBAL, and food chains of the regional and national level.
The project has received various recognitions and awards such as the Prize XII Social Council Award for Entrepreneurial Student Initiative of the Jaume I University; the IX Cope Award in the category of Young Entrepreneurs; the award‘of the Fundación Globalis’’; an award in the second Awards show Solidarity Chain 100 of Castellón and, finally, a special recognition for the Innovative Use of Technology in the Service of the People and the Society, with the sponsorship of IBM and the Fundación MásHumano.
Thus, translated into figures, which are around 70,000 euros collected, it could be said that this only represents a small part of everything that ‘Nadie Sin Su Ración Diaria’ could do for that part of society at risk of social exclusion. Thanks to the donations of 2020 will be able to help more than 1000 people, which translates into a figure of 240 families in a disadvantaged situation. Any user can donate food at any time and from anywhere, the first step for this is to become aware that it is possible to help a lot with very little; the next step download the app‘Nadie sin su ración diaria ’ and participate in less than a minute every time you want.
“The happiness of our project is the happiness of many people”
