According to Food Foundation research, one in five people in the UK are worrying where their next meal is going to come from including four million children.
FareShare has launched its winter campaign to help turn more surplus food into meals for people in need, with the help of food and drink retailers, manufacturers and foodservice operators.
The donated food will be distributed to 8,500 frontline charities and community groups across the UK, reaching those in need at school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters and community cafes. Each week, FareShare is able to provide enough food to make almost a million meals for vulnerable people.
Simon Millard, director of food at FareShare, said: “We know that surplus food can be put to good use – it’s what we do. In 2022-23, 91% of the food we provided was excess that otherwise would have gone to waste. By signing up, your business’s seasonal surplus can make a huge difference the lives of people across the UK.
“This initiative helps the environment too - for every tonne of surplus food we’ve redistributed, we’ve prevented the waste of two tonnes of CO2e and 2.66 million litres of water. Through reducing emissions and providing meals to people who need it, FareShare takes the environmental problem of food waste and turns it into a social good. Just another reason to smile.”