Hello Margaux,

How does Miam’Up digital platform fight against food waste?

Miam’Up is a non-profit association founded in April 2022, to help food aid associations with providing higher-quality and complementary meals to people in need.

We chose to focus on collective catering: school canteens, company restaurants and social health establishments. These organizations are subject to new regulations to improve meal quality, but they also generate food waste, often due to unpredictable factors like absenteeism. However, implementing a donation solution remains really difficult for them.

We therefore developed an adapted a solution based on a digital platform. It allows catering teams to declare their surplus food production through mandatory fields that ensure compliance with health regulations and traceability. Associations can then order according to their needs.

We then handle all the collection and delivery logistics, seeking the lowest carbon footprint thanks to electric vehicles in the outskirts and cargo bikes in city centers. All our vehicles are equipped to ensure the cold chain.

How do you work to implement your solution?

First, we convince collective catering companies and local authorities (for high schools, middle schools and primary schools) to integrate their catering services into our program.

Once organizations are engaged, we conduct a site study: a Miam’Up team member spends half a day in facilities, observes practices, interacts with staff and identifies logistical or health-related constraints. This allows us to propose a tailor-made action plan.

Before first collections, we train teams to use the platform. A Miam’Up member supports organizations for first donations and guide them step by step. Then collections and deliveries can be autonomously operated.

What is the environmental impact of your approach?

While giving surplus food a second life, our solution.has a direct environmental impact. It reduces food waste, which significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions drop.

We also designed logistics in a low environmental impact’s target, by using soft mobility. Finally, we have settled a system of returnable, reusable containers, avoiding disposable packaging. It’s a solidarity-driven, anti-waste, zero-waste approach.

Do you plan to expand Miam’Up’s scope in the future?

Yes. We started to operate in Toulouse, working with private collective catering companies and local authorities like the Occitanie Region (high school canteens). Food aid associations confirmed that the meals delivered were good, varied and high-quality food, meeting the challenge of providing healthier and more diverse supply to people in precarious situations.

Building on these results, we launched our first branch in Montpellier, with a second currently being set up in Lyon. Our goal is to expand nationally, with a presence in ten major French cities within three years.

How can individuals and companies support Miam’Up

Individuals can act as ambassadors. For example, parents can raise awareness about our program in school canteens. Employees can promote the initiative within their works councils (CSE) to encourage their company restaurant to join us.

Organizations with collective catering services can directly integrate their restaurants into our system. Those without can support us in other ways: through financial contributions (essential for developing our branches), material donations (electric vehicles, cargo bikes), or skills-based sponsorship on strategic issues (communication, logistics, development).

These forms of support are essential for us to expand our impact and provide quality meals to people in precarious situations.

Thank you for your answers!