Spotlight on SAVE FOOD Member Manzer Partazer
Manzer Partazer is the first food sharing initiative in Mauritius and Madagascar with the goal to ‘save’ food which would otherwise go to waste. Meaning to ‘Eat and Share’ its name is derived from the local adaptation of the French, manger and partager. The organisation’s core work involves redistributing, prior to expiry, buffet leftovers from hotels or restaurants, supermarket food items and baked goods. It uses a ‘zero cost’ food-sharing approach which focuses on making the best of existing resources within the remit of food safety requirements.
SAVE FOOD spoke with Julia Venn, co-founder of Manzer Partazer in October 2017.
How does Manzer Partazer's food sharing programme work?
The food is assembled for free by the staff of the food donor. Pickup and delivery are done through a supplier or courier during their daily transport routes using the free space in their vehicles. In this way, we avoid extra transport costs and additional carbon dioxide. In the next step, the food is received very quickly and with no storage costs to the receiving organization who then share it with the final beneficiaries.
What are some of your team’s recent achievements?
In March 2016, we started the project in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. In this first year, we managed to save three tonnes of food from getting wasted – reaching more than 2 000 orphans of our 11 partner orphanages in the country. We also shared around 12 000 meals, avoiding an estimated 4.5 tonnes of CO2.
How is Manzer Partazer innovating for food waste reduction?
Our team is creating a mobile application that connects, in real time, food surplus with consumers. Consumers can purchase the food surplus at a reduced price and get it carbon-free home delivered! Food not shared via the application goes automatically into the current food sharing system and serves as a free meal for our partner orphanages.
As a collaborative platform, this application will allow direct communication between everyone who has food to share (donate or sell) and everyone who would like to get this food (as a donation or by buying it). It will also provide opportunities for individuals or groups who would like to transport food to earn redeemable 'solidarity points'. People will also be able to gain extra income by becoming a green delivery man with Manzer Partazer.
Are there any other sustainability features of the application?
Our App will offer reusable food boxes that are made locally out of recycled material and combine these with a refund system so that every customer only needs to buy one box when ordering food the first time.
To ensure our financial viability over the longer term, we will charge a small fee for every product bought online and through advertisements on the application, as well as partnerships with re-processing groups.
What is Manzer Partazer’s vision for the future?
We hope that through further digitalisation and greater financial autonomy that the project will diffuse across the Indian Ocean region and ultimately, the whole Africa. We also wish to create green jobs in a circular economy by boosting women’s groups to start their own micro business transforming food surplus into new products (such as potato and carrot peelings into chips)!
Manzer Partazer is currently competing with its mobile application business model in the Orange Social Venture Prize 2017. In September 2017, the team received first prize at the national level in Madagascar and placed in the top three for Africa and the Middle East. The final ranking of the winners will be announced during the AfricaCom Awards in Cape Town, South Africa on the 8 November.
Connect with Manzer Partazer on Facebook