A new tool at the service of "eating better"

This new educational kitchen and this new processing workshop are an ambitious project, which was created thanks to the support of the Département, contributing €142,000. All the stakeholders who participated in the funding praised an exemplary initiative, which is at once social, educational, and ecological.

FEEDING AND WASTING LESS

Recalling the philosophy of the project, Joël Gattullo, president of the Banque Alimentaire du Var, explained: "The goal is to improve the diet of people in precarious situations and to fight against food waste, by making the most of donations from producers". In 2024, the Banque Alimentaire du Var distributed more than 2,500 tonnes of food products to the most deprived. The opening of these new spaces completes this action by allowing the processing and reuse of unsold products in a virtuous approach. Praising the constant commitment of volunteers and partners, Jean-Louis Masson highlighted the quality of the work accomplished by the association: "You have constantly worked to improve your actions, focusing on 'eating better' and the nutritional quality of products. Fruits and vegetables now represent 36% of distribution, much of which comes from organic farming and short supply chains. With these new workshops, you are taking an essential step by creating even more social connections and promoting integration". He also reaffirmed the Département's support for local initiatives aimed at strengthening solidarity and social cohesion in the Varois territory.

AN OPEN PLACE

The Banque Alimentaire's new workshops are not reserved solely for its volunteers. "The cooking and processing workshops are open to all partner associations, their volunteers, and their beneficiaries", specified Joël Gattullo. These spaces will make it possible to organize training sessions, nutrition awareness workshops, but also friendly moments of sharing and exchange, at the very heart of solidarity action. With this new achievement, the Banque Alimentaire du Var confirms its desire to act as close as possible to the needs of inhabitants and to promote a healthy, local, and responsible diet. An initiative that illustrates the solidary and innovative dynamic that has been created in the Var. •