A.N.D.E.S le réseau des épiceries solidaires

The lack of food is one of the most striking stigmas of poverty.

In the European Union, 79 million people — 16 % of the population — are at risk of poverty.
According to the European Commission, 13 million people benefit from the Most Deprived Food Aid Program.

Hunger is generally considered as a third world issue, affecting only extremely poor people.
Yet in 2007, according to Eurostat, one third of the EU population could not afford an unexpected expenditure. This shows that an increasingly important number of European people, single mothers, working poor, retired or unemployed people, live on the edge of poverty.

The aim of A.N.D.E.S (Association Nationale de Développement des Epiceries Solidaires) is to help promoting economical citizenship, through a form of food aid respectful of people's dignity and freedom.


What is a social/solidarity store?

In 1857, Ernst Engel showed in an article that the lower the income of a household is, the more important is the part of the budget spent on food. By reducing the latter significantly, social stores give people the opportunity to save up money for a project, a need, or just to improve everyday life.

Solidarity stores are local convenience stores where people with low incomes can buy everyday products at around 10 or 20 % of their "normal price".

This form of food aid was created in France in the 1980's, to complete a system of free distribution essentially aiming at homeless or very poor people.

Solidarity stores rather aim at people with low incomes (working poor, unemployed and retired people with a low pension etc.) who can't afford buying their food in "normal" supermarkets but who are, on the other hand, reluctant to benefit from charity.

The principle of social stores is to promote people's dignity and freedom: by leaving them the choice of the products they like and by making them pay for it like any other client, they aim at breaking dependency upon charity and at erasing the feeling of being indebted.

Besides, these stores also organize various activities, such as cooking lessons and cultural activities (cinema, theater), helping people to write a CV ...  
 
How it works

The access to social stores depends on a person's income, but not only: the idea is also to be able to respond to specific situations, like an unexpected bill, an accident, or the loss of a job that could drop a household down to severe poverty.

In France, social stores are generally associations working closely with local social services.
On average, people go to these stores for a period of 2 or 3 months, that can be extended up to 6 months or even a year, depending on each situation.

These stores are supported by local authorities, by associations such as the Food Bank and the Red Cross, by foundations and by private companies, through local or national partnerships.

A.N.D.E.S, a national network

A.N.D.E.S is an association created in 2000.

We have 3 main missions:

► To help creating social and solidarity stores wherever there is a need for it.
To date, A.N.D.E.S has helped creating around 50 stores in France.

► To support and promote these stores by various means ( website, blog, newsletter, professional trainings for volunteer workers)

► To supply these stores with quality products by developing national and local partnerships with food industries, hypermarket chains and producers.
For instance, we have developed partnerships with Ferrero France, Carrefour, Simply Market...

Since 2008, we work on the Rungis market, one of the largest wholesale markets in the world for fresh products: 14 previously unemployed people collect and sort unsold fruits and vegetables, which are then repackaged and delivered to local associations (such as the Red Cross, les Restos du Coeur, le Secours Populaire...).
This experience has double aim: to improve the quality and increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables in food aid organizations. And to put people who have been unemployed for a long time in a work situation; at the end of their contract at A.N.D.E.S, our staff in Rungis help them find a stable job or a professional training.

In November 2009, we will open a similar workshop in Perpignan.

Figures

500 social and solidarity stores in France.
Between 120 000 and 170 00 "clients" per year.
On average, a social store caters for 100 households per year.
There are also several solidarity stores in Belgium and a few in Greece, supported by the Carrefour International Foundation.

On the market of Rungis, we redistribute everyday 5 tons of fruits and vegetables to food aid organizations around Paris.


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