Mexico City's Central de Abastos Achieves 24% Less Daily Waist

Central de Abastos, Mexico City's largest wholesale market, has cut daily waste by 24% since 2020, redirecting nearly 800 tons of surplus produce to local soup kitchens.

Spanning 800 acres and catering to over half a million visitors daily, this market juggernaut grapples with the disposal of approximately 428 tons of organic waste daily, spurring collaborative efforts to revolutionize its waste management strategies. 

Since 2020, the market has been spearheading initiatives to combat this issue, however, its size and significance also mark it as a focal point in the battle against food waste. Despite these initiatives, environmental concerns persist. In 2019, the market discarded 565 tons of organic waste daily, although this figure saw a decline to 428 tons by 2022. 

"Approximately 20 million tons of food is lost or wasted every year in Mexico, the FAO believes about 30% of all the food Mexico produces goes unused. This is close to the average rate of food loss and waste overall in Latin America”, says Lina Pohl from the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The market's vibrant produce displays often clash with consumer preferences, leading to challenges in selling imperfect-looking fruits, resulting in avoidable waste. Moreover, according to the United Nations, the market's waste, including edible produce, significantly contributes to environmental issues, constituting 30% of global emissions. 

In Mexico, 20.4 million tons of food are wasted annually, averaging 170 kilograms per person. With 7.4 million facing food poverty, 13.9% in Mexico City lack food access. Measures aim to curb this waste, fostering recovery schemes to secure nutritious meals for those in need, engaging government, private entities, universities, and civil society. 

Programs like Itacate (Innovate, Transform, Feed, Central de Abasto, Your Space) seek to repurpose unsold produce for soup kitchens, encouraging sustainability and donation cultures among vendors. 

The Central de Abasto's Food Collection and Recovery Center (CEDA ITACATE) targets food donation culture, recovering and distributing tons of food, notably reducing organic waste and CO2 emissions, benefiting vulnerable populations.

ITACATE tackles high wastage areas: 20% dairy, 54% seafood, 34.8% beef, 57% fruits, 30% cereals, and 22% legumes.

"We're cultivating a culture centered on sustainability and giving back," expresses De Paz Fuentes, one of Mexico City’s officials. "Moving from stall to stall, we rally donations and educate vendors on reusing and recycling practices." 

"If I foresee surplus watermelons I can't sell during peak season, I reach out to Itacate." Gutierrez, vendor from the program. However, challenges persist in coordinating these efforts effectively.

Soup kitchens greatly benefit from these initiatives, supplementing meals for those in need and alleviating affordability concerns for market workers. Future sustainability plans involve a biodigester to manage emissions and generate biogas from organic waste, aligning with circular economy principles.