Nestlé Central America Tackles Food Waste with 'Low Hanging Nutrients'

Ogilvy Colombia and Nestlé Central America are combining nutrition, sustainability, and technology to reduce food waste and promote a circular economy in the innovative project 'Low Hanging Nutrients,' in strategic alliance with the Mayor's Office of Panama.

Central American countries have a great particularity, anyone can find thousands of trees that provide fruits and vegetables within reach, in any square, two blocks from our home, and even so they are not consumed, generating tons of waste.

Gastón Potasz, chief creative officer of Ogilvy Colombia said, "Starting from a scenario with enormous potential, we thought of a solution as simple as it is efficient, linking a community with the closest food source, which provides important nutrients in our diet. Low Hanging Nutrients is based on the creation of a digital platform that functions as a map identifying the location of fruit trees, so that everyone can approach and collect fresh, seasonal ingredients. In addition, they can receive nutritional information and new ideas for using them in a delicious recipe. This is an unprecedented initiative."

This initiative is being implemented in Panama City. Mayer Mizrachi, mayor of Panama said, “We didn't come here to copy models, we came to create them. This initiative is just the beginning of how Panama is becoming a benchmark. More than 400,000 people will feel the change, because here we don't talk about the future: we execute it.” Supported by the 'Low Hanging Nutrients' platform, the mayor's office will be responsible for pinning the location of the trees, ensuring the accuracy and security of the geolocation information provided.

Kim Waigel, director of communication and public affairs at Nestlé Central America said, "The power of this initiative is multiplied with a triple impact: promoting nutrition, which is our main objective, + sustainability in the use of natural resources, avoiding waste + growth of the circular economy that favours the population. We are excited to start in Panama and make our Nestlé Recipes platform available to the Mayor's Office. With this experience, we will have a very solid base to replicate in other countries. Without a doubt, it has immense scalability potential. This is a very enriching experience for us, and I am sure that people will join in."

Chef Randy Siles Leandro is recognised worldwide. His career includes being the first chef in America to be president of Les Toques Blanches, a prestigious French gastronomic club that promotes culinary excellence and cultural identity. Randy promotes healthy eating, so he joined the campaign from his Instagram account to share different recipes and encourage all his followers to join recetasnestle.com.

This project, conceived by Ogilvy Colombia for Nestlé Central America, reflects the brand's commitment to promoting nutrition, sustainability, and strengthening the circular economy. Through collaboration with the Mayor's Office and the use of the Nestlé Recipes platform, the initiative has the potential to generate a positive impact on the communities of Panama and beyond, laying the foundation for replication in other countries. With this initiative, Nestlé reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development and the well-being of people, aligning with its vision of creating shared value throughout its value chain.