Cheaf Advocates for Legislation to Combat Food Waste

The digital platform Cheaf, dedicated to rescuing edible products from waste, highlighted the urgent need for legislation to curb food waste in the country. The company conducted a survey in which 97% of respondents consider it important for the next administration to include clear policies on food waste management.

Founded in 2020, Cheaf aims to eliminate food waste in local businesses. Serving as a marketplace, the app connects end users with restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, food chains, or any food distributor. Operating in 25 cities across Mexico and Chile, it boasts 1.3 million users and 1,600 affiliated stores, including Maison Kayser, El Globo, Sanborns, and Aranzazu, among others. In 2023, Cheaf rescued 807,502kg of food, preventing the emission of 2225.2t of CO2.

The company’s study revealed that 81% of those surveyed are convinced that implementing laws against food waste would significantly alleviate food insecurity in the nation, which underscores the direct link between food waste and food insecurity in the country. Genaro Aguilar, Researcher, IPN, and Coordinator, Latin American Network of Experts Against Food Loss and Waste, noted that annual food waste in Mexico exceeds 22.7Mt. In contrast, data from the National Institute of Public Health shows that currently, 59.1% of Mexican households lack the necessary resources to secure sufficient food in terms of both quantity and quality.

Mariana Jiménez, CEO, BAMX, emphasized the need for multi sectoral cooperation to expand the reach of the food recovery network to help vulnerable communities. "We need more allies, associations, councils, business chambers, and civil society. BAMX rescues only 1% of food waste in Mexico, benefiting around 2 million people," she stated in an interview with Animal Gourmet.

As for potential solutions, Cheaf's study indicates that 47% of respondents endorse the notion of mandating proper management of still-edible food through donation or transformation measures. Additionally, 22% support the idea of requiring alliances between producers, merchants, and food banks or shelters as a condition for conducting business responsibly.

Kim Durand, CEO, Cheaf, stressed that survey findings reflect a growing awareness of food waste in Mexico among users. "It is heartening to see such a clear consensus on the need for effective legislative and regulatory measures," he said. Durand emphasized the importance of translating this momentum into tangible actions, emphasizing the necessity for collaboration between the public and private sectors to promote more sustainable consumption practices in the country.

In the realm of environmental conservation, global food loss generates 4.4GtCO2e/y, which is equivalent to about 8% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This means that the contribution of food waste emissions to global warming is almost equivalent to global road transport emissions, underscores a FAO study on food waste footprint & climate change.