The organising committee aspiring to host the World Alpine Ski Championships sets the initiative in motion with the aim of limiting food waste in the ski station, and establishing a charitable partnership that provides food for the community

In Andorra, many people find themselves in a precarious food situation. Càritas Andorrana (the Andorran Charitable Institution) receive requests on a day-to-day basis from a total of 53 families currently and from others who also require their support sporadically. Taking this reality into account and looking beyond the promotion of the candidacy bid for the staging of the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2029, one of the priorities set in the project is to contribute to the work that institutions do and to work in pursuit of social well-being. The Andorra 2029 technical committee has been the driving force behind MenjAND solidari, an initiative that was launched on Wednesday, establishing the first collaboration with Càritas Andorrana. It is a social program created with the aim of helping people in challenging economic situations, and whose purpose is to generate and distribute food among these groups. One of the keys to the success of the project is to limit food waste in the Grandvalira ski station in the Canillo, Soldeu and El Tarter sectors. This will make it possible to redirect the food by establishing a charitable network so that it reaches these people and families in a nutritionally healthy way.

The first of the initiatives, which serves as a learning opportunity for further collaborations, was set in motion today with Càritas Andorrana. The Grandvalira ENSISA catering team delivered a total of 150 meals made in the ski station kitchens to several people associated with the entity (pumpkin ravioli, meatballs with cuttlefish and coca de Perafita, a famous sweet pastry).

The instigator of the project, Àlex Orúe explained that a lot of product and raw materials are handled on a daily basis in the ski station to meet consumer demand, and "we have been able to identify where possible surpluses might be at different points of the season, especially towards the end."

In this regard, he pointed out that "we are working in conjunction with entities that offer social services, who have identified those people who are experiencing these difficulties, and this collaboration makes it easier for us to reach these individuals in order to cover some of their needs with these meals." This is the undertaking that the team for the Andorra 2029 candidature is working on, to ensure that food that would otherwise not be consumed by ski resort customers and that would become surplus to requirements reaches all the people in need who have links with the various associations in the country.

Vice president of Càritas Andorrana, Canòlich Baró was "very enthusiastic" about the initiative and she commented, "we have been wanting to do this for a long time now, but because of the pandemic we’ve not been able to do it. The food being cooked both today and tomorrow will be taken from here, so that these people can celebrate Easter."

So, various parties are involved in making this charitable network a reality: the ski station as a promoter of the project and in making the meals; the suppliers that provide food; people in vulnerable situations, and social agents such as entities and associations that have a direct link with these groups.

Solidarity MenjAND is part of the master plan brief for the World Championships Andorra 2029 with a series of measures envisaged during the development of the event.