BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Restaurant owners have recently set up ‘social fridges’ as a potential solution for fighting hunger in Argentina. The idea, which saw great success in Europe during the economic crisis, allows for individuals to place leftover food in fridges for those less fortunate.
This hunger alleviation scheme has also seen success in the city of Kochi, India, where a restaurant owner established a 24-hour fridge outside her establishment. The fridge, nicknamed the ‘tree of goodness’, was meant to stop individuals from searching for leftover food. According to the Independent U.K., the restaurant owner decided to open up the fridge after seeing a woman search through the restaurant’s trash.
In addition to feeding the hungry in Argentina, social fridges promote less food waste and contribute to alleviating the conditions of poverty. Despite being one of South America’s richer countries, the cost of food has soared in Argentina over the last year, after President Mauricio Macri announced new rate adjustments.
In the first quarter of 2016, the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) reported that the poverty rate in Argentina soared to 32.5 percent. Across Argentina, there are now 13 million impoverished.
In Argentina, according to the Buenos Aires Herald, the cost of a basic food basket rose by 7.8 percent in April 2016 alone. A basic food basket refers to the cost of basic food necessities, or the minimum amount of food that a family group needs to survive on.
While food prices are rising, wages are staying the same, meaning fewer and fewer people can afford to eat. As a result, there is an increasing need for the establishment of community schemes such as social fridges which can go a long way in fighting hunger in Argentina.
– Isabella Farr
Photo: Flickr