Albacete opens social economy food project to reduce waste

Cáritas Diocesana de Albacete and Fundación El Sembrador have inaugurated ‘El Sembrador para llevar’, a new social economy project in Albacete, Spain. Located on Federico García Lorca Street, the initiative aims to combat food waste and promote labor market integration for vulnerable individuals.

The project operates by collecting food surpluses donated by supermarkets and companies in the agri-food, distribution, and agricultural production sectors. These surplus foods are transformed into prepared meals for takeout or sold as products. This model seeks to address three main challenges: guaranteeing the right to dignified nutrition, reducing food waste, and creating inclusive employment opportunities.

The initiative is part of the ‘Maná – Alimentando el futuro’ project, which is supported by Cáritas Española and funded by the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+). The project has already facilitated the recovery of approximately 4,000 kilograms of food.