What is Social Plate
The project Supporting Social Enterprises in combating poverty and social exclusion (Social Plate) is implemented within the framework of the subsidized INTERREG V-A Greece – Bulgaria 2014-2020 program, with the collaboration of the two countries.
Within the framework of the project, the Central Market of Thessaloniki (KATH) S.A., a public company with the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations as its sole shareholder, developed the Social Plate concept. For its implementation, in April 2018, the Social Food Aid Urban Non-Profit Company was established, with partners including the Central Market of Thessaloniki (KATH) S.A. as the lead partner and the International Institute of Education “Technopolis.”
Social Plate aims to provide a solution to the problems of poverty and social exclusion, as well as the need to protect the environment. The program’s goals are to feed socially vulnerable groups, provide employment to long-term unemployed individuals, and reduce food waste. An integral part of the initiative is the dissemination of this solution across all social strata and their active participation in changing attitudes and mindsets regarding food loss issues.
Through Social Plate, KATH managed to distribute 470 tons of non-marketable products, of which 324 tons were recovered and utilized for nutrition, from April 23, 2019, until December 31, 2019, when the project ended. However, KATH continues its efforts with funding from its own resources and donations, and has secured inclusion in the Green Fund, which will subsidize the initiative with an amount of 310,000 euros. Overall, from the start until October 31, 2021, a total of 780,420 kilograms were received and 541,856 kilograms of food were distributed.
How Social Plate works
Every day, traders at the Central Market of Thessaloniki deliver quantities of non-marketable fruits and vegetables to Social Plate. Under the supervision of the quality control manager, these are sorted into suitable and unsuitable for consumption. Then, the staff repackages them and distributes them to various social organizations, which in turn offer them to vulnerable social groups.
Who benefits
Homeless people, unemployed individuals, refugees, and generally social groups living below the poverty line benefit. Approximately 90 partner organizations, including municipalities, NGOs, social grocery stores, and church soup kitchens, receive daily food supplies from the Central Market of Thessaloniki (ΚΑΘ) and distribute it, cooked or uncooked, to those in need.
Purpose of the initiative
The purpose is for the initiative to continue providing for those in need, while simultaneously reducing the amounts of edible food that end up as waste. A specific goal is to increase the quantities of food delivered to social organizations so that they can cover a much larger number of beneficiaries.
