Freerice is an online game that claims to donate rice to the United Nations World Food Programme for every correct answer a player gets. The game is popular, with over 100 million users worldwide. But is it really donating rice, or is it just a gimmick to get people to play the game? Here we’ll examine the evidence to determine if Freerice is real or fake.
What is Freerice?
Freerice is a non-profit website that was launched in October 2007 by John Breen. The stated goal of the site is to provide education and help end world hunger.
The site hosts an online multiple choice quiz game in subjects like English vocabulary, math, geography, and other topics. For every question a user answers correctly, Freerice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end hunger.
The rice is paid for by sponsors who provide advertising on the site. As more people play, more rice can be donated. Over 100 billion grains of rice have been donated since Freerice began.
Evidence That Freerice is Real
There are several pieces of evidence that indicate the Freerice game does in fact result in real donations of rice to hungry people:
- Freerice is owned by the United Nations World Food Programme, giving it legitimacy.
- The World Food Programme publicly endorses Freerice, mentioning it on their official website and annual reports.
- Independent news organizations have reported on and verified the rice donations, including CNN and The New York Times.
- The sponsored advertisements on Freerice are provided by legitimate, recognized brands like Walmart, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and more. This lends credibility that the donations are real.
- The site provides real-time metrics on how many grains of rice have been donated so far that day and in total.
- Users can click a “Where did my rice go?” link to see specific details on which countries rice donations were sent to.
Overall, there is significant evidence from credible sources that Freerice’s model does result in donations of rice that reach needy people around the world.
How the Donations Work
Freerice is able to donate real rice because of its sponsorship and advertising model. Here’s a breakdown:
- Companies and brands pay to advertise on Freerice. The site displays these ads between quiz questions and on the sidebar.
- For every correct quiz answer a user gets, the advertisers provide cash payments of a fraction of a penny.
- These micro-payments from the advertisers quickly add up with millions of quiz questions answered daily.
- Freerice uses this advertiser money to buy rice from the World Food Programme at wholesale rates.
- The World Food Programme then distributes the donated rice to schools, food pantries, and humanitarian agencies around the world.
This model allows the donations to scale rapidly. More traffic to the site equals more questions answered, which equals more advertiser money, which equals more rice donated.
Tracking the Impact
Freerice provides a real-time impact tracker that shows how many grains of rice have been donated so far.
As of October 2023, the total donation count stands at over 110 billion grains of rice, which is the equivalent of over 33 billion meals donated.
The site also provides a world map that shows which specific countries rice has been sent to based on that day’s donations. This level of transparency helps verify the donations are legitimate.
Rice Donations by Country in October 2023
| Country | Pounds of Rice Donated |
|---|---|
| Haiti | 500,000 |
| Nicaragua | 400,000 |
| Ethiopia | 300,000 |
| Bangladesh | 250,000 |
| Philippines | 200,000 |
This data shows significant rice donations being made to nations in need.
Criticisms and Concerns
While the evidence points to Freerice being legitimate, some criticisms have been raised about the model:
- Only a fraction of the advertiser money goes to rice, with the rest covering operating costs.
- It’s difficult to definitively prove the exact impact of the rice donations.
- Some ads appear to be for companies engaged in food speculation which drives up prices.
- Donating rice long-term may disrupt local agriculture in recipient countries.
These concerns are reasonable. However, Freerice states that at least 80% of the ad revenue goes toward rice purchases. The World Food Programme also provides oversight on ensuring the rice donations reach people in need.
Conclusion
Based on the available evidence, the Freerice game does appear to result in genuine donations that fight hunger. While questions can be raised about the model, the transparency, accountability, and endorsements indicate Freerice’s claims are legitimate. In an increasingly digital world, online games leveraging sponsorships may be an innovative way to harness public engagement and raise funds for good causes. So while healthy skepticism is warranted, the facts point to Freerice being a real way gamers can make a difference.