Latest news with #ZeroHunger
Time of India
01-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
From surplus to salvation: How Tinsukia is feeding hope and fighting waste
Guwahati: In a heartwarming and innovative move, the Tinsukia Municipal Board in upper Assam has launched the 'Zero Waste, Zero Hunger' initiative, a programme designed to tackle both food waste and hunger. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This initiative isn't about scraping leftovers from diners' plates but rather capturing the safe and hygienic surplus food from hotels and restaurants before it ends up in the trash. The mission? To ensure this perfectly good food reaches the most vulnerable and homeless residents. This initiative is a shining beacon of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban's (SBM-U) broader vision, which extends beyond merely keeping our cities clean. It aims to build systems that are inclusive, sustainable, and socially impactful. By addressing food waste at its source, diverting it from landfills, and channeling it to those who need it most, the 'Zero Waste, Zero Hunger' programme embodies the core principles of SBM-U — reducing solid waste, recovering valuable resources, and fostering a circular economy. The Urban Local Body (ULB) team conducts daily collections of surplus food from hotels, restaurants, and bulk food waste generators (BWGs). After quality inspection and repackaging, the food is distributed to more than 100 homeless individuals living in vulnerable conditions. The distribution occurs whenever eateries have surplus food, ensuring that edible food reaches those most in need. "The Zero Waste, Zero Hunger initiative is a powerful example of how cities can turn waste challenges into meaningful opportunities. By collecting surplus food and redirecting it to those in need, the initiative reduces the burden on landfills while supporting vulnerable communities," Kriti Chachra, state mission director, (SBM)-Urban, Assam, told TOI on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She praised the Tinsukia Municipal Board for combining social welfare with environmental responsibility. "We need every ULB to embrace this vision — of cities that regenerate resources, support communities, and inspire hope," Chachra added. The Tinsukia Municipal Board plays a key role in mobilizing support from BWGs and facilitating coordination across stakeholders. Citiyano De Solutions, the empanelled IEC agency under the SBM-Urban (Assam), leads the implementation on the ground, overseeing food collection logistics, conducting sensitization sessions with food providers, and ensuring compliance with food safety and hygiene protocols. An official noted that food establishments and eatery owners are eagerly registering as donors, demonstrating increased awareness in reducing avoidable food waste. Many of these businesses have become regular contributors to daily food redistribution efforts. "This model is designed to be scalable and replicable, with the potential to extend to more establishments and communities in the coming months. Plans are also in place to strengthen awareness campaigns and integrate more community-based organizations into the process," said an official of SBM-Urban (Assam). "It showcases how cleanliness is not limited to sweeping streets, but extends to responsible consumption, equitable access, and collaborative governance. In doing so, Tinsukia is setting a replicable example of how Swachh Bharat can power both environmental transformation and social justice in India's urban future," he added.
Business Wire
31-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Flashfood and Kroger Announce Pilot to Expand Affordable Grocery Access in Richmond
BUSINESS WIRE)--Flashfood, the leading affordable grocery app, has partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Division of The Kroger Co. to introduce its program across 16 Richmond-area Kroger stores. The rollout offers local shoppers significant savings on groceries while supporting Kroger's commitment to sustainability, affordability and healthy food access. Through the partnership, Richmond-area customers can purchase fresh groceries in surplus or nearing their best-by date—including meat, dairy, produce, and baked goods—at big discounts through the Flashfood app. Items are then picked up from designated Flashfood zones inside participating Kroger stores. 'Kroger's leadership in operational excellence makes them an incredible partner to demonstrate what Flashfood can deliver when executed at scale,' said Jordan Schenck, CEO of Flashfood. 'We're thrilled to be kicking off this partnership and to support Kroger's impactful Zero Hunger, Zero Waste program. Together, we're not only expanding access to fresh, affordable groceries in Richmond – we're also demonstrating how innovation can leverage surplus and end-of-life food to serve communities, support retailers and keep good food out of landfills.' In its recently published 2024 Impact Report Flashfood demonstrates the role food waste plays in today's affordability, health and nutrition crisis. In a 2025 shopper survey, 70% of Flashfood shoppers reported a healthier diet since using Flashfood, and 65% report eating more fruits and vegetables. This is a powerful health outcome, and the partnership with Kroger is an important step to achieving the availability required. It's a tech-driven, scalable solution that drives value on both sides of the marketplace. 'At Kroger, we're always looking for innovative ways to serve our communities, reduce our environmental impact and move closer to our Zero Hunger Zero Waste goals,' said Mid-Atlantic Division President Kate Mora. 'Our partnership with Flashfood helps us achieve all three. This app is another resource for customers who are looking for affordable options to feed their families while also keeping perfectly good food out of landfills. It's a win for our community and the planet.' With this expansion, Flashfood is now available in more than 2,000 stores across North America. To date, the program has diverted over 140 million pounds of food from landfills and saved shoppers more than $355 million on groceries. For more information, including a list of participating Kroger locations and to download the app, visit About Flashfood Flashfood is on a mission to feed families, not landfills. The app marketplace connects shoppers with fresh produce, meat and other groceries at up to 50% off. By partnering with retailers across North America, Flashfood offers shoppers nutritious staples at affordable prices, and reduces the amount of food going to landfills. To date, Flashfood has rerouted more than 140 million pounds of food from landfills while saving its shoppers more than $355 million on their groceries. Flashfood is a B-Corp certified company currently partnered with more than 2,300 stores across North America. For more information, please visit About Kroger's Mid-Atlantic Division: The Mid-Atlantic Division operates more than 100 stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic Division employs about 18,000 associates. Kroger is dedicated to eliminating hunger in the communities it serves through partnerships with nine Feeding America food banks and numerous local organizations. The grocers Zero Hunger | Zero Waste efforts are aimed at ending hunger in Kroger communities and eliminating waste in stores by 2025. Kroger also supports breast cancer research, the military and their families and more than 4,000 nonprofit organizations. Last year, Kroger Mid-Atlantic donated 16.5 million meals to charity and 3,606,296 pounds of food to food bank partners.
Iraq Business
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Iraq Business
EU-Funded Gene Bank Launched in Kurdistan
By John Lee. In a landmark move to protect Iraq's agricultural legacy and strengthen its food security, the foundation stone has been laid for the country's first-ever Gene/Seed Bank, located in Hawari Shar Park, Sulaymaniyah. The facility is being funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with Iraq's Federal and Regional Governments, under the " Restoration and Strengthening the Resilience of Agri-Food Systems in Iraq " project. The inauguration was held under the auspices of H.E. Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and attended by Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Begard Talabani, Governor of Sulaymaniyah Dr. Haval Abubakir, Mayor of Sulaymaniyah Ms. Leyla Omar Ali, FAO Representative Salah El Hajj Hassan, and other senior officials from academia and agriculture. Mr. Qubad Talabani described the gene bank as " an investment for the future; it protects our past and secures our future. " With over 3,500 plant species native to Iraq, the gene bank will conserve rare and wild varieties of grains, vegetables, and indigenous crops. It will support the development of climate-resilient agriculture by preserving traits such as drought tolerance. Minister Begard Talabani called the initiative a "strategic milestone" that will aid scientific research and protect Iraq's plant diversity for generations to come. FAO's Salah El Hajj Hassan thanked the EU for its funding and reiterated the project's alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals-particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). He described the gene bank as a centre for innovation and resilience. The facility will feature storage vaults, laboratories, seed documentation, and conservation units, with planned future expansions including a cryobank, tissue culture laboratory, and field gene bank. (Source: FAO Iraq)
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newsweek Names Kroger One of America's Most Trustworthy Companies
Retailer recognized for outstanding associate, customer and investor trust scores CINCINNATI, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's grocer, today announced it has been recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Most Trustworthy Companies" for 2025. "We work to earn trust every day by delivering great quality food at low prices, offering dependable employment with opportunities for fulfilling careers, caring for our communities and rewarding shareholders," said Ron Sargent, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. Companies earn this distinction from three main public pillars of trust – associate trust, customer trust and investor trust. The ranking reflects Kroger's continued efforts to provide customers with fresh, affordable food, employees with a workplace that respects and values every associate, and neighbors with a commitment to create communities free from hunger and food waste through Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan. Since launching Zero Hunger | Zero Waste in 2017, the retailer has directed more than 3.9 billion meals to feed hungry families in local communities. To learn more about Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, visit here. The Kroger Co. has been named a 2024 top place to work by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN™, was honored by Handshake for excellence in early career hiring, named a best workplace for diverse professionals by Mogul, earned recognition from Newsweek as One of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and ranked among Computerworld's Top 100 best places to work in IT. Visit to learn more about pursuing a career in roles that enhance the customer experience at Kroger. About Kroger At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an eCommerce experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Kroger Co.
Euronews
12-06-2025
- Science
- Euronews
Spanish innovators tackle food waste and safety with smart labels
Food waste is a critical global problem, costing billions annually and contributing significantly to environmental damage. In the European Union alone, over 59 million tonnes of food are discarded every year – a staggering 132 kilograms per person – while millions suffer from foodborne illnesses. Addressing these challenges, three young Spanish entrepreneurs, Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez, and Luis Chimeno, have developed smart biodegradable labels that detect bacterial growth on food and signal freshness in real time. This breakthrough has earned them a place among the top 10 selected innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025. Their company, Oscillum, embeds intelligent biosensors into a biodegradable polymer matrix that reacts to bacterial compounds released as food spoils, triggering a visible colour change. 'We place the biosensor in contact with the food, and with a simple colour change it indicates whether it is safe to eat or should be thrown away,' Granado explains. This innovation gives consumers and retailers accurate, real-time information about food safety, unlike traditional expiry dates or time-temperature indicators that can be unreliable. By directly detecting bacterial activity, Oscillum's labels help reduce unnecessary food waste and lower the risk of food poisoning. The idea originated from a memorable experience in their university days at Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche. Chimeno recalls: 'The idea started because Pablo had a piece of meat in the fridge that had a very strange look and smell. He decided to eat it against our advice. Nothing happened, and that's when the spark came. We thought: how many people would have thrown this away?' This moment inspired the team to design a solution that provides clear, easy-to-understand information about the product's freshness, helping consumers make safer decisions. Oscillum's smart labels work across a variety of foods, from fresh produce to meat and fish, and even packaged goods. The labels also indicate ripeness on fruits and vegetables, preventing premature disposal of perfectly edible products. For retailers, the technology offers a way to optimize stock management and cut losses, while consumers gain confidence in the food they buy. Since officially launching in 2019, Oscillum has grown through partnerships, accelerator programmes, and funding from innovation centres. The company is now expanding into active packaging solutions that interact with food to extend shelf life. Early intellectual property protection has been crucial to securing their place in the competitive food-tech sector. Their work advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Responsible Consumption, and Climate Action. 'We understand sustainability as a balance between environmental, economic and social factors,' says Sosa Domínguez, underlining the trio's holistic approach. Chimeno highlights the particular potential benefits for vulnerable communities, explaining that the 'technology can reduce food waste and its environmental impact while also preventing food poisoning, especially in regions with limited food safety infrastructure.' Oscillum's smart labels offer a practical, scalable response to the global challenge of food waste and safety – offering a tool that benefits both consumers and the planet. 'If you know a young person who you think is taking opioids, you need to take action'. That's the key message Denmark wants parents to keep in mind as part of its new campaign to get them to talk with their teenage children about the risk of opioids, a small but growing public health threat in the Nordic country. The Danish health authority and the city of Copenhagen launched the campaign this week after discovering in a February survey that 47 per cent of parents do not know enough about opioids to talk to their children about them. The campaign offers advice from teenagers and experts on how to talk to young people about opioids, which include some types of prescription painkillers as well as heroin and fentanyl, an ultra-potent synthetic opioid. It says parents should broach the subject in a casual way, set clear expectations, and avoid becoming preachy or upset. 'With the new campaign, we will better equip parents and other adults around young people to talk about opioids – and show them how important a role they play for young people,' Jonas Egebart, director of the Danish health authority, said in a statement. Parental outreach is one plank of a government plan announced last year to prevent young people from abusing opioids, which has been a growing public health problem in Denmark in recent years. While some people take opioids legally – for example, cancer patients who are prescribed painkillers – they can quickly lead to addiction, which in turn can have deadly consequences. From 2018 to 2023, the number of Danes aged 25 or younger who were hospitalised because of an opioid overdose rose from 142 to 239 – a 68 per cent increase. In 2023, the country reported 116 opioid-related deaths, mostly tied to methadone and heroin, government data shows. Denmark's new approach to opioids includes a range of measures. People caught in possession of or selling the drugs were previously slapped with a fine, but under the government plan they could be sent to jail. The country is also boosting its drug surveillance and will take steps to improve treatment options for people struggling with addiction.
