Less than 100 days before the Games, the Organizing Committee for the Paris 2024 Games formalizes cooperation with three associations engaged in the food solidarity sector at the national level by signing a cooperation agreement via the “Terre de Jeux 2024” program. to fight against food waste and redistribute surplus food.
In the presence of Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, Laurence Champier, General Director of the French Federation of Food Banks, Patrice Douret, volunteer President of Restos du Cœur, Valérie de Margerie, Volunteer President of Chaînon Manquant, Audrey Pulvar, Assistant to the Mayor of Paris, in charge of Agriculture, Sustainable Food and Short Local Circuits and Léa Filoche, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of solidarity, emergency accommodation and refugee protection, of the fight against inequalities and against exclusion.
The fight against food waste, a commitment at the heart of the vision for catering for the Games
By organizing the Games in France, France is preparing to welcome the whole world to its table and serve nearly 13 million meals. Catering thus constitutes a real logistical challenge with the diversity of customers with very different needs (athletes, spectators, staff, volunteers, etc.) with different types of meals (pre-packaged snacks, breakfasts, hot sandwiches, lunch boxes or collective catering meals) and in numerous sites in the heart of Paris and throughout France.
From 2022, as part of the Food Vision, the strategy for catering for the Games, Paris 2024 is committed to more sustainable and responsible catering with the objective of halving the carbon footprint of Games meals per compared to the national average by doubling the proportion of plants, using 2% of products of French origin or even dividing single-use plastic by 80. In addition, the fight against food waste and the recovery of resources that are still consumable are key commitments of Paris 2 which are being realized today.
The fight against food waste starts at the source by choosing anti-waste recipes and raising public awareness to better size the quantities served. A surplus being inevitable given the volumes involved, the revaluation of non-consumed products through their redistribution is essential to reducing food waste.
Expert associations to support the biggest global event
Paris 2024 is launching this cooperation in order to define a common operating method with these 3 associations having extensive experience in the redistribution of meals as part of food aid. With them, detailed mapping, site by site, day by day was defined to estimate unconsumed products in order to anticipate and prepare the work of redistribution to precarious populations near the sites.
Each association will collect uneaten and still consumable food from the Games service providers and partners after the competitions at the collection sites. Around a hundred local branches or associations will be mobilized to manage redistribution via raids, distribution centers and nearly 1.000 volunteers will be mobilized to collect, repackage and redistribute unsold items.
These associations, present throughout the territory, will ensure that they support the stage communities of the Olympic Torch Relays and the Paralympic Flame Relays and the approximately 200 host communities of the 2024 Clubs in order to set up a similar system for redistributing surplus food.
Work has also been initiated with the Solidarity Department of the City of Paris, which permanently coordinates food aid associations. Synergies have been identified between the food resources of Paris 2024 and the aid measures put in place by the city in addition to the summer.
Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024 : “Very happy to take a new step, today, in our collaboration with the French Federation of Food Banks, the Restos du Cœur and the Chaînon Manquant, with the signing of this Terre de Jeux 2024 agreement. Thanks to the commitment and the experience of these associations, we will be able to meet the challenge of serving 13 million meals during the Games, and to do so in a more responsible manner, in particular by collecting and redistributing uneaten food products on the Paris 2024 sites to previously identified audiences. Together, we continue to give meaning and evolve practices within sporting events in France and internationally. »
Laurence Champier, General Director of the French Federation of Food Banks : “We are happy and proud that the Food Banks, the leading food aid network in France, are labeled “Terre de Jeux 2024 cooperation organization”. It is a great recognition of Paris 2024 which translates for us into the collection of surplus food on numerous Olympic and Paralympic sites, in Ile-de-France and in the regions, as well as during the Flame route. It is also an enhancement and a new anchoring of our action with the sporting environment with which we share great values such as Commitment, Solidarity and the Strength of the Collective”
Patrice Douret, volunteer President of Restos du Cœur: “Poverty and precariousness have worsened and access to food has been reduced for the most deprived due to the various crises. This agreement will allow us to develop food donations, which represent almost half of our supply, to better meet the needs of the people we welcome. The Restaurants will therefore be able to mobilize volunteers and their logistical tools during the Games to collect these products which will be redistributed to the people welcomed.
Valérie de Margerie, Volunteer President of Chaînon Manquant : “We are very happy to help place solidarity and eco-responsibility at the heart of the Paris 2024 Games. The signing of this agreement is for us recognition of 10 years of commitment and partnership with the biggest events sportsmen. It is also a celebration of sharing and collectiveness, strong values common to the world of sport and solidarity associations. It is finally a major challenge which requires us to surpass ourselves and for which any outstretched hand will be welcomed with joy! »
