The Group remained committed to supporting organizations which carry out work to fight social exclusion. This commitment is carried out through the direct supply of food products, monetary support to organisations carrying out pedagogic work with children and young people at risk, in an attempt to curb school dropout and social exclusion, and/or encourage entrepreneurship, and through developing campaigns driving the society’s contribution to social causes.
As a Group, we provide regular direct support to more than 1,000 institutions.
In 2019, direct monetary and in-kind support amounted to over 43 million euros, an increase of 37% when compared to 2018. In five years, this support totals more than 130 million euros.
At the corporate level, we provide ongoing support to 19 institutions through cooperation agreements, the majority of which have been in place for more than a decade. The majority of this support is channelled to social projects, but there is also support to projects concerning education, culture, Human Rights, the environment and health.
In Portugal, Pingo Doce and Recheio receive requests for support through their websites and directly in its stores, trying to answer to the appeal of social institutions that carry out their mission in the stores’ surrounding areas. Food and cash is donated, including sponsorship of environmental conservation projects.
In Poland, Biedronka channels its support to social projects and campaigns, having expanded its food donation programme in stores to charity institutions, such as Caritas Polska and the Federation of Polish Food Banks. We also continued to provide financial support for the development of the Caritas infrastructure, with financial donations for the acquisition of refrigerated vans for food distribution.
In just four years, since the programme for donating food surplus began in Poland, the number of stores involved has increased to above the 1,500 stores forecasted for 2020, totalling 1,639 at the end of 2019.
In Colombia, Ara also continued to send food products from its stores and Distribution Centres, which, while not being able to be sold to the public, are apt for consumption and can be donated to underprivileged communities.
The Group donates food surplus that meets food safety standards, but which cannot be sold, to institutions that take it to people living in extremely vulnerable conditions. In 2019, donations of food products totalled over 15,600 tonnes, 36% more than in 2018.
Since 2018 that the programme Na Codzienne Zakupy (For Everyday Shopping) is involving financial assistance for senior citizens from the areas surrounding the stores in small cities or towns. In 2019, more than 6,600 vulnerable elderly people (approximately 1,300 more than in the previous year) had access to monthly pre-paid Biedronka cards, which represented an investment of 2.3 million euros.
In 2019, Pingo Doce launched the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme, through which it provides monetary support to causes identified by the local population, thereby aiming to strengthen the ties with local communities and contribute to the well-being of the neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the stores. In the two editions already concluded, 157 local causes were supported, involving an investment of more than 150,000 euros.
ABACO – Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia (Colombian Association of Food Banks), which has the mission to establish strategic alliances with public and private partners to fight hunger and food waste, is supported by Ara since 2013. In 2019, more than 34 tonnes of food have been donated and it is estimated that, monthly and on average, more than 4,500 people from 1,516 families were supported by the Food Banks in nine cities (Bogotá, Pereira, Manizales, Barranquilla, Villavicencio, Ibague, Cucuta, Monteria and Cali).
In 2018, on the initiative of Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (Colombian Institute for Family Well-Being), cooperation with the Madres Comunitarias (Community Mothers) governmental programme went from involving food to personal and home care. In 2019 the new protocol made it possible to offer oral hygiene kits (toothbrushes and toothpastes) and hand hygiene kits (anti-bacterial wipes and soaps) to over 8,500 children up to the age of five, from poor families and deprived areas.
The natural disaster that devastated the city of Beira in Mozambique, as the result of Cyclone Idai, which took the lives of 786 people and affected approximately 3 million others in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, led Jerónimo Martins to act. The Group’s companies in Portugal donated around 14 tonnes of essential foods, personal care and babycare items. The Group also donated 100,000 euros to the Portuguese Red Cross.
The Group donates food surplus that meets food safety standards, but which cannot be sold, to institutions that take it to people living in extremely vulnerable conditions. In 2019, donations of food products totalled over 15,600 tonnes, 36% more than in 2018.
In 2019, Pingo Doce launched the Bairro Feliz (Happy Neighbourhood) programme, through which it provides monetary support to causes identified by the local population, thereby aiming to strengthen the ties with local communities and contribute to the well-being of the neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the stores. In the two editions already concluded, 157 local causes were supported, involving an investment of more than 150,000 euros.
In 2018, on the initiative of Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (Colombian Institute for Family Well-Being), cooperation with the Madres Comunitarias (Community Mothers) governmental programme went from involving food to personal and home care. In 2019 the new protocol made it possible to offer oral hygiene kits (toothbrushes and toothpastes) and hand hygiene kits (anti-bacterial wipes and soaps) to over 8,500 children up to the age of five, from poor families and deprived areas.
Since 2018 that the programme Na Codzienne Zakupy (For Everyday Shopping) is involving financial assistance for senior citizens from the areas surrounding the stores in small cities or towns. In 2019, more than 6,600 vulnerable elderly people (approximately 1,300 more than in the previous year) had access to monthly pre-paid Biedronka cards, which represented an investment of 2.3 million euros.
ABACO – Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia (Colombian Association of Food Banks), which has the mission to establish strategic alliances with public and private partners to fight hunger and food waste, is supported by Ara since 2013. In 2019, more than 34 tonnes of food have been donated and it is estimated that, monthly and on average, more than 4,500 people from 1,516 families were supported by the Food Banks in nine cities (Bogotá, Pereira, Manizales, Barranquilla, Villavicencio, Ibague, Cucuta, Monteria and Cali).
The natural disaster that devastated the city of Beira in Mozambique, as the result of Cyclone Idai, which took the lives of 786 people and affected approximately 3 million others in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, led Jerónimo Martins to act. The Group’s companies in Portugal donated around 14 tonnes of essential foods, personal care and babycare items. The Group also donated 100,000 euros to the Portuguese Red Cross.
Recognising the need to develop a collective awareness to fight hunger and malnutrition of the most vulnerable people, the Group is strongly involved in food collection campaigns and other items, as well as in fundraising initiatives to support the work of charities.
Biedronka launched a paper bag made from 50% recycled paper in more than 650 stores. One third of the Dobra Torba (The Good Bag) is donated to the Federation of Polish Food Banks.
In 2019, one million bags were sold and around 46,500 euros have been donated to the Federation.
Information on support given to surrounding communities in 2019 and the food donation programme in Poland was confirmed by an external and independent entity for the Group’s 2019 Annual Report.