Brazil needs to create supermarkets with a social focus, like in Sweden – 05/16/2023 – Maria Inês Dolci

In recent weeks, there has been a growing interest in movement in the cash and carry segment (mixed wholesale and retail), with investments, opening of stores and expansion of state and regional chains to other states. Indeed, it is a scenario that interests the middle class, who can still make their purchases in the market, even if they opt for cheaper products, without privileging brands.

Considering, however, that classes D and E concentrate more than half of Brazilians, it would be urgent to create here something like supermarkets with a social focus, such as Matmissionen, from Sweden.

It is interesting that a network like Matmissionen, aimed at people at risk of poverty (who earn less than 60% of the national average income), emerged in wealthy Sweden, not Brazil, where more than 30 million people were starving until the beginning of this year (I did not find updated numbers after the relaunch of Bolsa Família).

This chain manages to charge much less (one third of the market price) because it receives donations from food companies. They are perfectly edible products, but about to be discarded for some reason.

There are also initiatives such as The Real Junk Food project, in the United Kingdom (snack bars, stores and warehouses), which receives still good food that would be thrown away and offers it to vulnerable populations, who pay the amount they determine. That is, whatever they can and want to pay.

It is estimated that 30% of food is wasted in Brazil, from production to consumption. There would, therefore, be great possibilities for creating supermarkets and social cafeterias, which would avoid discarding food that is still suitable for consumption, even if without the appearance and aesthetics usually required by consumers with more income.

Last month, a measure exempting 46 foods considered essential from VAT (Value Added Tax) came into force in Portugal, such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, milk, yogurt, some fruits, vegetables and vegetables.

It would also be a good idea to adopt the recommendations of Oxfam (an international confederation of organizations and partners that works in more than 90 countries in search of solutions to poverty, inequality and injustice): producing food without human suffering, poverty, gender discrimination, bad working conditions and starvation wages.

It may be that these suggestions seem naive in such a crowded market. But food is an essential good, today, now and always. But food prices are subject to elevation due to several factors, such as commodity sales to dozens of countries, wars, pandemics and other similar situations. For the poorest, eating well is a difficult challenge to overcome.

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