Disabled and elderly, sick and immunocompromised. Weaker citizens and consumers, sealed in their homes due to inability to move and reduced assistance, risk nutritional deficiencies. Just when a balanced diet-with variety of vegetables, fruits, and other fresh foods-is essential to support the immune system, especially at a certain age.
Égalité Onlus continues to urge large-scale retail and ecommerce operators in Italy to organize free and priority grocery delivery for the most vulnerable. A petition and questionnaire, to assess the effectiveness of food security risk in the continuing Covid-19 emergency.
Home deliveries, the flop of large-scale retail in Italy
Large-scale retail is unable to meet the demands for home delivery. Sites blocked, orders held up for weeks. Absolute unpreparedness to handle an emergency that strikes, first of all:
– the weaker segments of the population. Namely, the disabled, the elderly and the sick, who cannot leave their homes due to physical inability and reduction (or suspension) of social care services, as well as the very serious risks of complications in case of infection,
– people in fiduciary home isolation, whose cohabitants are themselves at greater risk of infection and should keep leaving home to a minimum to prevent the spread of infection.
1 in 3. The over-65s alone in Italy represent 22.6 percent of the population (Eurostat), plus 5.2 percent disabled(Istat) and others with serious chronic diseases who should not leave home to avoid even lethal complications in case of infection. The disinterest of large-scale retailers and ecommerce operators in Italy thus affects at least 1 in 3 consumers.
The real paralysis is evidently at the top of the large distribution groups. Who have not activated the synapse necessary to set up the dutiful crisis units, to address a national food security emergency that requires immediate:
- Communication lines dedicated to the disabled, immunocompromised and over-65. On the sites but also through ‘toll-free numbers’, taking into account the poor ‘digitization’,
- Workforce for warehouse and delivery. Also being able to rely on, among others, employees of businesses and public establishments forced to lockdown by Decree 11.3.20 (the so-called #RetainWeHome Decree),
- Teams of volunteers, to be recruited for home deliveries. With the help of Third Sector Entities but also through posters to be put up at points of sale.
The social responsibility that retail andecommerce bosses often declaim is confirmed to be, as already suspected, a mere greenwashing operation. And even words, in this situation, stand for zero.
#Égalité, the petition and questionnaire.
Égalité Onlus has appealed to retail and ecommerce leaders in Italy for free and priority delivery for the disabled, over-65s and immunocompromised. Without receiving any feedback, however, outside of Carrefour and Gioosto.
The petition-which we urge everyone to sign and promote, to support the shared appeal in support of the most vulnerable consumers-can be found at this link.
The questionnaire-which we also kindly ask you to fill out, following this link-was prepared by our research team. With the aim of assessing the possible impact of the Covid-19 emergency on the food security of the most vulnerable sections of the population. We also rely on your help in helping the elderly and disabled to fill it out.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
