These international chefs are using Olympic food surplus to cook for Rio's poor

Monday August 15, 2016 , 2 min Read

The 31st Olympic Games being organised in Rio De Janerio have been in news, not just because of the countless feats of sportspersons from across the world, but also due to the criticism it has been facing.

Brazil, currently undergoing an economic crisis, has witnessed massive protests by people calling out for their fundamental needs like education, healthcare, and the alleviation of poverty and hunger, over organising sporting extravaganzas like the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Thousands of Brazilians protesting outside Palácio do Planalto, the presidential palace, on 16 March 2016. (Source - Wikimedia Commons) — Thousands of Brazilians protesting outside Palácio do Planalto, the presidential palace, on 16 March 2016. (Source – Wikimedia Commons)

Inspired by last year’s RefetteRio Ambrosiano organised in Italy, where 65 chefs came together to cook meals for the poor using food left over at the Milan World Expo, this year at the Rio Olympics, cooks have taken charge to feed the city’s hungry.

An initiative by the Italian chef Massimo Bottura and Brazil’s David Hertz, the leftover food from the Olympics is now being used to feed the city’s poor. “We want to fight hunger and provide access to good food,” Hertz told Reuters.

The team aims to produce 5,000 meals daily, besides providing vocational training for aspiring local cooks, bakers and servers. The team also hopes that the initiative is replicated in every city that hosts the Olympics in the future.

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