This time I’d like to introduce two organisations concerned with food. One is an offshoot of a national organisation which focusses on reducing food waste, the other a local grocer that is financed through its members.
Every year 20 million tons of food are wasted in Germany. The organisation Foodsharing was founded in 2012 in Berlin to combat this waste. They save as much food as they can and give it away for free. The organisation now works in various cities in Germany and similar organisations have sprung up in Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy.
Foodsharing cooperates with big and small businesses to collect food that has been overproduced or left over and all the work is done by voluntary workers. You don’t have to be a member of foodsharing to collect free food. Foodsharing started working in Munich in 2018 and currently has four locations where you can get food for free. One of their distribution centres is close by and, when I was there, they had some fresh vegetables, a wide range of bread as well as yoghurt and some sweets on offer. Anybody is welcome and nobody asks whether your are coming because you want to change your habits of consumption or to save money. Since the food bank in Munich can offer only a much reduced service since the Corona outbreak, the fact that Foodsharing still offers food for free is all the more important now.
For further information on the service here in Munich and Foodsharing in general, see https://foodsharing.de (in German)
The Ökoesel is a local grocer that finances itself through its members so that it can sell organic and locally produced food at little more than the purchase price. They have a good selection of vegetables and a considerable range of other products including vegan products, bread, organic meat and eggs. Their selection has increased considerably since they opened and you can easily do your entire food shopping with them. The Ökoesel cannot compete with your classic discounter in price, but I buy there regularly and can vouch for the quality of their products. They definitely offer excellent value for money. For more information see https://oekoesel.de. The easiest way to get to the Ökoesel is to take the tram 20/21 to Heideckstr. Or, if you don’t mind a five minute walk, you can walk to the shop from the Leonrodplatz (Bus 53, Trams 12/20/21).
Both Foodsharing and the Ökoesel try to change they way we think about food consumption and mass production. Personally, I find their work admirable and heartening.
If you know of more organisations/shops like these in Munich, please add your comments below.