Quintana Roo Food Bank to Aid 10,000 More by 2026

Quintana Roo, Mexico — The Food Bank operated by the Cáritas group in Quintana Roo has set a goal for 2026 to provide food to 10,000 more people across the state. Achieving this objective is considered vitally important, requiring more companies and the general public to join the effort.

Miguel Gutiérrez, Director of the Food Bank, detailed that Cancún is the second city in all of Mexico that wastes the most food, at a rate of 220 grams per inhabitant. This amounts to 80 kilograms of food per year, highlighting the need to improve consumption and purchasing habits to prevent this type of waste.

"The Food Bank in Quintana Roo aims to grow 2.5 times, which means going from 16,000 people to 40,000 beneficiaries, and for this, more partners need to join," he stated.

He noted that 16,000 people currently receive this food benefit in the municipalities of Chetumal, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, and Kantunilkin, and that operations are beginning in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

He explained that the program is dedicated to collecting food and distributing it to combat hunger and malnutrition in the region.

"It operates by collecting surplus food from donors and delivering it to people in situations of food scarcity," he said.

He commented that the official standard indicates that 6 kg of food should be delivered per person, which translates to 240,000 kilograms of food every month.

He noted that they have agreements with the three main supermarket chains in the state and that there is currently a donation campaign with one of the supermarkets. He invited the public to donate at any of the 28 stores in the state.

Other actions by Cáritas of Quintana Roo include attention to vulnerable groups, providing support with comprehensive health services such as general medicine, psychology, and nutrition, as well as shelter, food, and care for the elderly. They also facilitate the referral of people in vulnerable situations.