Food insecurity: the CMA CGM Foundation joins forces with universities to develop Solidarity Mini Market across France for students in need

An alarming level of food insecurity among students

Today, one in five students faces food insecurity, while 46% of students report skipping meals for financial reasons. The CMA CGM Foundation and its partners share a common belief: limited access to quality food should not be a barrier to students’ academic success.

An innovative concept to address students’ needs

Designed using four repurposed shipping containers transformed into a 120m2 space, the solidarity grocery store on the Saint-Charles campus of Aix-Marseille University provides students with affordable food, hygiene and household products, at prices up to 90% lower than market prices. It is operated by the student association Fédération Aix-Marseille Interasso (FAMI).

Towards a nationwide rollout of the solidarity grocery store model

Just days before the start of the new academic year, the CMA CGM Foundation is joining forces with France Universités, Aix-Marseille University and Le Havre Normandie University to develop new solidarity grocery stores, initially in Le Havre and France’s overseas territories.

A national framework agreement to roll out the model across French universities

The CMA CGM Foundation will provide its support, field experience and the expertise of the CMA CGM Group to transform shipping containers, while France Universités will mobilize its network of more than 110 universities and schools across France to identify needs, promote the sharing of best practices and support the nationwide expansion of the initiative.

By combining the universities’ field experience, France Universités’ ability to mobilize its network and the commitment of the CMA CGM Foundation, the partners aim to build a sustainable, adaptable and replicable model that can provide concrete, rapid and effective solutions to food insecurity among students across France.

A new solidarity campus hub for students at Le Havre Normandie University

Building on the success of the Marseille model, the CMA CGM Foundation and Le Havre Normandie University are taking the first concrete step towards this national ambition by creating a new Solidarity Mini Market in Le Havre, built from 12 repurposed shipping containers.

The mini market will be located at the heart of the university gardens, in a city with a strong maritime and port identity, where shipping containers are a familiar sight.

Led by the University and its student associations, the mini market will provide a permanent home for the student solidarity initiatives already underway in Le Havre, within a larger space dedicated to campus life and mutual support. It will offer food, hygiene and household products at significantly reduced prices, in an environment designed to welcome students without stigma.

The choice of Le Havre reflects the CMA CGM Foundation’s commitment to the communities where the Group has a strong presence, and its determination to address local needs as closely as possible.

In Marseille, a mobile Solidarity Mini Market brings support closer to students

Opened in January 2026, the Social and Solidarity Mini Market on the Saint-Charles campus is the starting point for this initiative. Located at the heart of the campus, it welcomes around 300 students each month who face difficulties accessing food and essential products. A number that has steadily increased over the past eight months.

To take this initiative further, the CMA CGM Foundation and Aix-Marseille University have signed a partnership framework agreement, extending a collaboration that began in 2022. The agreement provides for the deployment of a mobile mini market, in the form of a specially equipped truck, to reach students on campuses located further from the city centre, as well as new solutions to address barriers to access healthcare.

Tanya SAADÉ ZEENNY, President of the CMA CGM Foundation: “No student should ever have to choose between eating well and succeeding in their studies. This conviction, and our determination to help, drive our Foundation’s commitment alongside associations and universities. Born in Marseille, the Solidarity Mini Market has demonstrated its value within just a few months by providing a concrete response to students’ needs, right where they are. Today, we are taking this initiative further by bringing the concept to other parts of France, in response to a growing need.”

Lamri ADOUI, President of France Universités: “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student can pursue their studies in conditions that support both their success and their well-being. Yet in France, many students still struggle to access sufficient, quality food. France Universités is therefore joining forces with the CMA CGM Foundation to support the deployment of Solidarity Mini Markets within universities. By mobilizing our network, we want to foster concrete, sustainable solutions tailored to the realities of local communities, so that food insecurity never becomes a barrier to students’ success.”

Éric BERTON, President of Aix-Marseille University: “We are gathered today around a deeply held conviction: a university cannot simply educate; it must also protect, support and open doors. We are proud to have worked with the CMA CGM Foundation to test and develop concrete solutions, such as the Social and Solidarity Mini Market, and to now be able to pursue a more ambitious vision for student life, particularly through mini markets and health centres. This is also at the heart of our commitment: to ensure that food insecurity never becomes a barrier to our students’ success and well-being. If these models can eventually be replicated at other French universities, we will be particularly proud to have contributed to that effort.”

Pedro LAGES DOS SANTOS, President of Le Havre Normandie University: “ ‘A campus to experience’ is not just a slogan at Le Havre Normandie University: it is what we owe our students. A campus is not built solely for its community; it is built with and by its community, and it can only truly fulfil its purpose if everyone can play an active role, thrive and succeed. This conviction is at the heart of this project: a true space for campus life and mutual support, built from shipping containers, with the solidarity grocery store at its heart. The success of the project in Marseille paved the way; it is therefore no coincidence that Le Havre is the first step in its nationwide rollout, as the initiative resonates so strongly with the maritime and port identity of our university, our region and our Campus Polytechnique.”