Mexico: a historic donation to eradicate hunger

The pandemic outbreak has upended global hunger figures, generating new “hunger hotspots” around the world and creating new food emergencies across the globe. By the end of 2020, it was estimated that 12,000 people were dying from hunger every day due to the COVID-19 crisis, a figure far higher than the deaths caused by the disease itself.

The situation in Mexico, a country where 23% of the population lives in food poverty and 12% in chronic malnutrition, has led us to donate 25 million pesos to the Mexican Food Bank Network (BAMX, as per its acronym in Spanish), as part of their Extraordinary Aid Programme.

“By collaborating with the Mexican Food Bank Network and its noble cause, we contribute to meeting one of the most important basic needs for the optimal development of children and people in extremely vulnerable situations, and we align ourselves with the United Nations’ SDGs and 2030 Agenda”, explains José María Romero, representative of Fundación MAPFRE in Mexico.

The BAMX network will be responsible for distributing the food previously collected throughout the value chain, from the fields and food factories to restaurants and hotels, and complementing food packages with grains, cereal and fruits. Food packages will then be redistributed to vulnerable communities and institutions through the BAMX Network. Beneficiaries will be identified through a socio-nutritional survey.

This donation, which will benefit 27,000 families, will cover the needs of 108,000 people in vulnerable situations. The project will have nationwide coverage thanks to the participation of 52 food banks belonging to the BAMX Network.