The sharing fridge is a student initiative which was implemented by Univert Laval at the Abiti-Price pavilion in January 2024. For almost a year, this fridge has allowed students to take the food found there for free and, at conversely, to place foodstuffs there. A look back at this student initiative with the instigator of the project, Xavier Magny.
By Marie Tremblay, multiplatform journalist
Risk of food insecurity among students
Food insecurity among students has increased significantly in recent years due to inflation and the reduction in purchasing power. In their annual report, Moisson Montréal states that the percentage of students making requests from food banks increased from 10% to 14% in the last year (Bérubé 2024).
In the article “ A grocery store that always costs you more » published in December 2023, Le Devoir had calculated the percentage increase in food costs between January 2022 and October 2023, using the tool Nutritious and economical shopping basket (PPNE). The difference is drastic. For example, in 2022, a kilogram of bread sold for $5.82 and $10.26 in 2023.
The concept of a shared fridge has existed for a while now in the community environment. There are several in Quebec City, particularly in the Saint-Roch district, where the needs are most acute. On the university campus, there are shared fridges in the residences, set up by Aeliés. Other projects were carried out by the social sciences association. In both cases, access to the fridges is limited to certain users. A first version of a more inclusive sharing fridge had been attempted in the past. Unfortunately, the project was buried by Covid and its strict hygiene measures.
The success of Univert Laval’s Frigo Partage
When he entered the baccalaureate in Natural and Managed Environments, Xavier Magny already had an interest in the community environment and the reduction of food waste. In 2022, he joined the Univert Laval committee and embarked on his project: setting up a sharing fridge accessible to the entire student community. Now finishing, Xavier has seen his project come to fruition quietly during his school career.
The first step was to survey the students on their needs and their interest in such a project during a kiosk held as part of the start of the school year in 2022. After a rather positive feedback, it was time to write the letter of request. intention addressed to the university so that it approves the project. A less motivating step, Xavier tells me during a virtual meeting: “You start the project and you just want to see a shared fridge set up, but as long as you haven’t written your letter, that’s fine. will come to nothing. “.
Slow administrative procedures were another challenge that prevented the project from moving forward. At the same time, Xavier and his other colleagues contacted businesses to find out their interest in participating, even though the project had not yet materialized. When the project finally moved from paper to reality, Xavier was able to count on the help of Victoria Baer and several dedicated volunteers. Together, they held awareness and promotional booths for the project.
In just one year, the fridge has gained popularity and enthusiasm for the project continues to increase. According to Xavier, regular partners make a real difference, as it encourages people to take a look in the fridge regularly. Indeed, students are impatiently awaiting the delivery of Bagel Maguire Café.
After observing that people were getting into the habit of bringing a variety of food, such as non-perishable foods, the Sharing Cupboard was set up. In addition to the support of Univert, this initiative can count on the support of Aefeul.
“I’m just really happy to see that there is so much interest in this project and that the student community is so involved. We have reached a point in the project where it is no longer us who will contact merchants and catering services, it is they who contact us to form partnerships and collaborations. », confides Xavier Magny on the success of the Fridge sharing.
From now on, the Univert shared fridge is included in the network of fridges, created by Cadeul and L’Aeliés, providing additional visibility. A carte interactive is also available to locate the different shared fridges on campus.
A win-win formula
The Univert association is involved in several other projects, including Sacrée Bouffe, a project in partnership with La Baratte which complements Frigo Partage well. Sacrée Bouffe, headed by Zénon Michaud – colleague and friend of Xavier – is a community cooking workshop. Once a month, students come to the community center to cook large-portion recipes. At the end of the afternoon, a third of the dishes are distributed in the fridges of La Baratte, a third in the shared Univert fridge and the last third is distributed among the participants: everyone emerges winners. This activity allows university students to familiarize themselves with the concept of sharing fridges and to socialize in a non-school context, in addition to making a difference in the municipal and student community.
Valorization through involvement
Through involvement, Xavier says he has developed professional skills through concrete projects. It also allowed him to apply the knowledge he accumulated during the sessions. For him, as for Zénon, it was also an additional motivation to come to university: it makes the experience much more “ can give “, they admitted.
It’s also nice to think that they will have left a mark of their time at the university and that their initiatives are making a real difference in the lives of hundreds of students. Currently, Frigo Partager is looking for replacements to ensure the sustainability of the project. However, Xavier is not worried that the project will be taken up.
References
Bérubé, S. (2024). Food insecurity among college students: The silent crisis. The Press.https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2024-10-29/l-insecurite-alimentaire-chez-les-etudiants/la-crise-silencieuse.php.
Boumedda, S. (2023). A grocery store that always costs you more. The Duty. https://www.ledevoir.com/interactif/2023-12-04/panier-epicerie/index.html.
