Social supermarket has positive effects on people and climate

The social supermarktet “Matmissionen” in Veddesta Center north of Stockholm has been running for over a year and Axfoundation has financed an impact assessment of the operations. The evaluation, conducted by PWC, shows that Matmissionen’s goals for labor integration, climate and customer benefit are fulfilled and that the initiative have had positive effects.

Stockholm’s Stadsmissionen’s model for vocational training is highly appreciated by the participants. After their job training, most participants find that they are closer to the labor market than before because of new skills and knowledge. Even the store’s customers and members’ responses and stories in the evaluation show that membership is important to them and their well-being.

The estimates of the climate impact of food that reached customers through Matmissionen’s operations show that the environmental impact each year corresponds to 539 tons emission of carbon dioxide if the products had been disposed of instead. This is about as much as 358 passenger cars release over a year’s time. The evaluation has been carried out with Matmissionen Veddesta as an object, but the assessment also follows a table that enables us to report in future how much carbon dioxide has been invested in the products we take care of throughout the social super market.

Stockholm’s Stadsmission owns and operates two social supermarkets today: Matmissionen in Veddesta, which opened in September 2016 and Hägersten, which opened in March 2017. Axfood is co-founder of Matmissionen. The purpose of Matmissionen is to give people the opportunity to approach the labor market through job training but also to contribute to reduced food wage and to enable people living in financial vulnerability to become a member and buy food at a reduced price.