FIGHTING MALNUTRITION
Recycling food waste to feed kids with nutritional deficiencies
Dysfunctional global food systems are fueling soaring levels of malnutrition and causing a world health crisis. Dr. Francesca Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at the World Health Organization, stated that malnutrition is the main cause of death and disease in the world. Currenlty, there are 150 million children that are malnourished. Of those, more than half are from South Africa and a part from Africa.
The global nutritional crisis does not occur because of a lack of food in the world, but the unequal distribution of resources on the planet. Non-availabilty of food in markets, difficult access to markets due to lack of transportation, and insufficient financial resources are all factors contributing to hunger. Thus, the key to solving malnutrition is to move food from where it is to where it isn’t.
PULP NON-FICTION
The global cold press juice market is expected to reach US$670 million by 2024, up from US$450 million in 2019. Linked with fasting, “cleanses” and the raw food movement, these juices continue to skyrocket in popularity in the United States and Europe.
Here are some facts about cold pressed juices:
A single 16-ounce serving of cold pressed juice generates, on average, 3.5 pounds of pulp.
120 million 16-ounce services of cold pressed juices were sold domestically in 2019.
The amount of pulp generated from cold pressed juices last year totaled 420 million pounds.
Currently, almost all of the edible pulp goes to waste or ends up in landfills. This pulp contains all the fiber and residual vitamin that is left from the fruits and vegetables.
RECYCLING FOOD WASTE
Many nutrition experts are now advocating incorporating the pulp into our meals. The pulp is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and needed fiber. A way to make use of the pulp is to ship them to places with food and nutrition scarcity. Hoop Hero has a substantial network in China to help locate villagers in the most remote and poorest corners of China.
In poverty struck provinces of China, most kids are fed a diet of rice congee. These children lack quality and diversity in diet and thus attribute to nutritional deficiencies. Occasionally, there will be one egg in a huge pot of noodles for 30 children. Mostly, their meals consist of soybean and rice. The daily caloric intake of kids from Ningxia region is only 62% of the recommended level. The figure is 66% in Guanxi region and 68% in Yunnan.
Hoop Hero's Ambassador, Parker Welanetz, will work with juice companies in the United States to recycle their pulp, and arrange for the transportation of them to children in need.
JOIN US TODAY!
Sign up to support the real “heroes” facing adversity around the world every day. Get involved and become a HOOP HERO Ambassador to inspire positive change.