Poverty: regulations for the food recovery law will be ready in November

A year and a half ago, the ‘Law that promotes actions for food recovery’ (Law 31477) was published, but it has not yet been regulated due to the lack of political will in the latest administrations. Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri)according to congresswoman Sigrid Bazán.

This silence is “a lack of respect for those who fight hunger every day” -adds the parliamentarian-, considering that the regulations establish a route so that the recovery of non-marketed foods – and that are in a perfect state of consumption – reaches the poorest Peruvians through social organizations.

In this regard, the vice minister of Development of Family Agriculture and Agrarian Infrastructure and Irrigation, Christian Barrantes, assured that the Midagri The regulations for the food recovery law will be ready by November, which will be prepared in conjunction with the Ministry of Production (Produce) and the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (Midis).

“That is a great opportunity for the country and, above all, for food security,” Barrantes said before the Congressional Agrarian Commission.

For her part, Sigrid Bazán — a member of the working group in question — reminded The Republic that 12.8 million tons of food are wasted per year, 47.6% of the total; and 5.6 million tons are lost in fruits and vegetables alone. In addition, he mentioned that only in a three-hour day it is possible to recover three tons of food in the Great Wholesale Market of Lima.

“This goes directly to the most vulnerable and food insecure populations. Can you imagine how much could be used if this practice were institutionalized?” he concluded for this newspaper.

Finally, the parliamentarian assured that the law does not contemplate any ‘award’ for merchants who allocate unsold food, since it appeals to the solidarity and voluntary nature.