The way we produce and distribute food today is deeply broken. Roughly 673 million people across the world deal with hunger every day, while nearly a third of the food produced is wasted in households, the food service industry and retail, according to a 2025 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. This waste amounts to almost a quarter of the world’s farmland producing food that will never be eaten, and it is responsible for about 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. A Brazilian food rescue network consisting of a group of food banks called Sesc Mesa Brasil is attempting to address these issues with a seemingly obvious solution: reducing waste by distributing edible food that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Sesc Mesa is the biggest private network of food banks in the country, spanning 100 locations. It receives food donations that do not reach commercialization standards but are still completely safe to eat from private companies like supermarket chains, food brands and festivals. Then, it distributes the food to nonprofits, community projects, and as emergency aid for climate disasters.

In 2024, the Brazilian food rescue network distributed enough donations to feed an average of 2.3 million people every month, Luana Camilo, director of social services at Sesc Mesa, told TriplePundit. The sheer size of its operations is made apparent at its Rio de Janeiro location, a 64,000 square foot building where dozens of workers unload trucks, inspect the food and organize units for distribution.

On a sunny day last December, the Rio de Janeiro location received a few truckloads of donations of white bread from a large company. Dozens of men unloaded the trucks and sorted the food. The building already contained tons of food inspected and slotted for distribution. Later, partner nonprofits and community groups would pick up food to distribute to those who need it.

A five-minute drive away, Lar Fabiano de Cristo receives food from Sesc Mesa every two weeks. The institution provides three daily meals, educational support, and shelter for single mothers, the elderly and children in vulnerable communities.

Read the full article about Sesc Mesa by Nicole Froio at TriplePundit.