Pay what you can: the Toronto supermarket where the products do not have a fixed price

    Pay what you can: the Toronto supermarket where the products do not have a fixed price

    There are about 108 million people in the world who are dealing with a situation of serious food insecurity, which is why in recent years, initiatives have been growing that aim on the one hand to guarantee access to food for all, on the other to fight waste.



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    Around 108 million people in the world are dealing with a serious situation food insecurityFor this reason, in recent years, initiatives have been growing which aim, on the one hand, at guaranteeing access to food for all, and on the other, at combating waste.



    An initiative that is good for people and the environment comes from Toronto where a supermarket very special. On the shelves you can find everything from organic products to pet food, the only thing you can't find are price tags because everyone can pay for what they buy., based on their economic possibilities.

    The products are donated by a network of partners and are foods that are close to expiry or that have spoiled packaging (which obviously does not affect edibility), many destined for landfills shortly thereafter.

    “The new store aims to tackle the problem of food insecurity and the fight against waste by comparing the two problems. The procedure is simple: take those products destined for landfills, divert them and deliver them to people in need, "he said. Jagger Gordon, the Toronto chef who launched the initiative.

    The supermarket, which also has a bakery and coffee shop and was born from the non-profit organization Feed It Forward, born after the publication of an alarming figure: every year 31 billion pounds of food ends up in Canadian landfills, while one in eight families struggle to put of food at the table.

    Gordon's first attempts to tackle the problem were extraordinary, but now the Toronto store looks like a real revolution. The 102 square meter space is open seven days out of seven and offers a wide variety of products, from flour to sugar from fruit and vegetables to legumes. Prices are at the discretion of the customers.

    “If you can afford to pay more, you do it, otherwise give what you can. I wouldn't ask for an extra penny from someone who can't afford it, ”explained the chef.



    All profits are poured into the shop, covering the rent and transportation of supplies. There are around 600 volunteers, also a dense network of fundraising and donations. At the end of the day, what's left in the shop is delivered on the street or left in a nearby homeless shelter. Gordon's hope is that his model will also be exported to other parts of the world:

    "It's about explaining to people that food shouldn't be wasted because there are those who really need it."



    Read also:

    • Social refrigerator, a supportive idea that expands all over the world
    • Handouts of solidarity: an idea that helps the needy and is good for the environment
    • 10 shops and supermarkets that we all would like to have close to home

    Dominella Trunfio

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