.png)
In observance of World Hunger Day on May 28th, foodpanda, an online food and grocery delivery platform, is intensifying its efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition through its sustainability program, "Let’s Do Our Pau-rt" (LDOP).
The Global Hunger Crisis
World Hunger Day serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing global crisis of hunger and malnutrition. Over 1 billion women and children suffer from malnutrition, and nearly 800 million people worldwide lack sufficient food. The urgency to address this issue is more critical than ever.
In the Philippines, there has been progress in addressing involuntary hunger, decreasing from 14 percent to 11 percent between December 2023 and March 2024. However, the OCTA Research group survey indicates that approximately 2.9 million families still grapple with food insecurity.
"The effects of hunger and malnutrition are far-reaching, impacting entire generations worldwide. But by starting locally, we can make global ripples against this crisis,” said foodpanda Philippines CEO Daniel Marogy.
Initiatives Leading up to World Hunger Day
In the run-up to World Hunger Day, foodpanda launched several initiatives to make a tangible difference in alleviating hunger, malnutrition, and food waste.
Share Meals, Share Like a Panda
To facilitate meal donations, foodpanda is leveraging its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) through their innovative fundraising mobile application, ShareTheMeal (STM). This feature allows app users to easily donate meals after checking out their orders, aiming to make donations seamless and convenient.
During its first run, the campaign successfully donated meals to local farmers from disaster-prone areas in the country, often affected by climate emergencies. “Given how successful the first initial run was, we wanted to continue our engagement with WFP so that more local beneficiaries will receive donated meals from our app users through our platform,” Marogy added.
Marogy also emphasized the role of foodpanda employees in raising awareness about combating hunger. By sharing their meal donations via STM on personal social media accounts, employees can creatively inspire others to join the effort.
Food Rescue Missions
.jpg)
On Stop Food Waste Day, observed last April 24, foodpanda collaborated with its long-time partner, Scholars of Sustenance (SOS PH), to rescue near-expiration items from its grocery arm, pandamart, and redistribute them to communities in need.
"Our aim is to redirect these near-expiry items to those who can still benefit from them, rather than letting them go to waste. This is a significant step against food wastage given that globally, about a third of food produced is lost or spoiled, with Filipino households alone wasting nearly 3 million tons annually,” said Marogy.
The donations from pandamart procured more than 3,000 meals, which were donated to SOS PH's partner communities.
Taking Action on World Hunger Day
.jpg)
On World Hunger Day, foodpanda employees joined forces with SOS PH to cook rescued food items in their soup kitchen in Marikina, providing meals to 300 beneficiaries.
"Our Panda employees were excited to participate in this mission for the second time. They previously cooked rescued food items during last October's World Food Day, and I look forward to seeing more of their involvement in soup kitchen missions like this one," Marogy stated.
Marogy assured that these efforts will continue beyond special celebrations or annual events. "As we mark World Hunger Day this year, let's reflect on the importance of ending hunger and malnutrition for good. For us, what we want is to create a better, healthier future for everyone, one meal at a time.”
Conclusion
foodpanda's "Let’s Do Our Pau-rt" initiative is a shining example of how businesses can make a significant impact in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. By leveraging technology, partnerships, and community involvement, foodpanda is helping to create a sustainable and healthy future for all.