In light of the lockdown, daily wagers and migrant communities in the country are going hungry, farmers are struggling to sell their crop and essential produce is going to waste. But in spite of their own businesses shutting down, restaurant owners have taken the opportunity to give back to society even while the future of the hospitality industry remains uncertain.

Mumbai restaurant, Americano and social enterprise, Taru Naturals have partnered to help bring produce from small-scale farmers and supply it to the people who need it through the ‘Farm to Table Relief Fund’. All proceeds go towards empowering farmers to continue their work while also supplying food to migrant workers and daily labourers who are unable to provide for themselves during the lockdown.

The response has been incredible, says Alex Sanchez, Chef and Owner of Americano. “We saw a unique opportunity for collaboration wherein we could empower farmers to help feed the hungry.”

How it works: From farmers to underprivileged communities  

For Ruchi Jain, Founder of Taru Naturals, managing the logistics in the middle of the lockdown was the biggest challenge. The harvest from the farmers is packaged into relief kits and transported to Mumbai via truck. In Mumbai, the team has partnered with the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) to distribute the packages. The kits have been distributed in the Mankhurd and Govandi slum areas. “So far, we have generated two lakhs which has been used to put together 350 relief packets,” Jain says. “Each packet lasts for fifteen days for a family of four.”

Each kit consists of wheat, dal, rice and oil and costs Rs650, which goes to the farmers. Every bit counts, and no contribution is too small for the initiative. “We closed Americano one day shy of our first anniversary. It was a great first year and we owe that to the support we received from our community. In this time of crisis it’s easy to get wrapped up in the negative: the uncertainty, the hardships, the bills,” Sanchez says. “We wanted to focus our energy on putting some good out into the world.  We need more of that right now.  And this fund has shown us that, overwhelmingly, when given the opportunity, people want to do good.”

Originally Published By – Cn Traveller