The Farmers for Neighbors project will be a structural poverty facility. Approximately 80,000 city pass holders in Amsterdam are now entitled to cheap fruit and vegetable packages from local farmers in Flevoland.
What started in April as a temporary initiative has made way for a structural provision. The Boeren voor Buren Foundation will continue to provide healthy and affordable vegetables, fruit and potatoes for households that have difficulties making ends meet. The packages are not free, but are “very cheap,” said a spokesman for the municipality.
The initiative is a collaboration between Rabobank Amsterdam, Studiezalen and the Municipality. The Alderman for Poverty, Marjolein Moorman, is enthusiastic. “It ensures that healthy and affordable vegetable packages become available to people. We are also strengthening the short food chains, which is good for the environment and good for the farmers in the area. ”
Acute help
From now on, Boeren voor Buren sells small (5 kilos), medium (10 kilos) and large (16 kilos) shoppers every two weeks. Prices range from 4.95 euros to 14.95 euros. Stadspas holders can order and pick up their parcel via the internet at one of the three locations in Amsterdam: in Noord or at one of the two collection points in Nieuw-West. Everyone is obliged to bring their own bag, in order to use as little packaging materials as possible.
The idea arose a few months ago, when acute help was needed for families who were barely able to survive the corona crisis. Organizer Abdelhamid Idrissi, founder of Studiezalen, knew many such families. At the same time, Eric Traa of Rabobank knew that farmers were left with up to a billion kilos of potatoes. The collaboration spoke for itself and was a success.
The municipality aims to help people outside of Amsterdam from next year.
