Present in Nice since April 2025, the HopHopFood association collects unsold food from partner businesses to redistribute it to people in precarious situations. Its local manager, Nolwenn Poupon, explains how an initiative works that aims to fight both waste and difficulties in accessing food.
Established in the Alpes-Maritimes for just over a year, the local branch of HopHopFood continues its development. Through a mobile application, the association connects merchants willing to donate their unsold items with beneficiaries referred by partner organizations. A simple solution that allows the redistribution of several dozen food baskets each day.
Can you introduce the HopHopFood association and how it works?
N.P.: “HopHopFood is an association that fights both food waste and food insecurity. In practice, we mobilize merchants who prefer to donate their unsold items rather than throw them away. The difference from traditional systems is that everything goes through an application. Merchants post their unsold items as baskets online, and beneficiaries can reserve them directly to pick them up from the store. This avoids transportation, storage, and logistics costs.”
Who can benefit from these solidarity baskets?
We mainly address people in situations of mild precariousness, meaning people who have housing and a kitchen to prepare the products they collect, but who struggle to feed themselves once their bills are paid. They are directed to the application by partner organizations: associations, public bodies, or institutions. This can include for example scholarship students through the Crous Nice‑Toulon, families supported by associations, or people followed by social services.
You recently established a partnership with the CAF. What does it consist of concretely?
The partnership with the CAF works like with any other partner organization. The idea is to reach CAF beneficiaries who may be in situations of mild precariousness. The CAF sets criteria, and based on this, certain people can be directed to our solution. They then receive a code that allows them to register on the application and reserve food baskets from partner merchants.
Throwing away food remains legal in France today…
Yes, and it’s quite surprising. The only obligation concerns very large stores of more than 400 m², which must find a solution for their unsold items. But all small businesses can perfectly well throw away edible food without any legal problem. Yet it makes no sense: socially, because people need to eat, and environmentally, because transporting and destroying this waste produces COâ‚‚.
Can these applications really change habits?
They concretely save products from the trash. Everything that is posted on an anti-waste application, whether ours or others, is food that would otherwise have been thrown away. It also creates a virtuous circle: merchants give, beneficiaries get products, and everyone participates in reducing waste.
What is the current impact of this initiative on the territory?
We distribute approximately sixty food baskets per day. The local branch was opened just a year ago: at first, no one knew about the solution, there were neither partner merchants nor beneficiaries. Today, we have around thirty solidarity businesses and activity continues to develop. We have already expanded to cities like Cagnes‑sur‑Mer, Antibes, and Vallauris, and a launch is planned soon in Cannes.
Do merchants respond easily to the call?
It’s not always straightforward, because many don’t know that this type of solution exists. Going to meet them and explain the approach takes time. But once they understand the principle, they are often very motivated. Moreover, food donations can entitle them to a tax reduction, which provides an additional small incentive.
