How these brands are fighting food waste & food poverty
Food poverty in London has risen in recent years and with the hardships and economic uncertainties of Covid-19, this is only set to worsen. Before the Coronavirus hit, 9.2 million meals were missed monthly because of food poverty in London while 13.4 million meals were wasted monthly by businesses. We look at the incredible charities and businesses connecting the dots, and redirecting food surplus to those who need it the most. See what you can do to volunteer.
THE FELIX PROJECT, LONDON
We’re proud to work closely with The Felix Project, donating our surplus produce to feed those in need. The Felix Project works with producers, shops and supermarkets and other food suppliers, collecting fresh, nutritious food that can’t be sold. They’re not a food bank, rather they deliver this surplus food to charities and schools so they can provide healthy meals and help the most vulnerable in our society. They’re in need of donations at the moment, but you can also volunteer your time. Find out more here.
OLIO, NATIONWIDE
Olio is a free neighbourhood food-sharing app, connecting neighbours who have surplus food with those who want it. Over 6.5 million portions of food have been shared on the app, helping households cut their waste while getting food into hungry bellies. The app can be used by everyone, whether you’re giving away or picking up. To access food, simply browse the listings available near you and arrange a pick-up via private messaging.
CITY HARVEST, LONDON
Similar to The Felix Project, City Harvest are doing an incredible job making it easier for businesses to donate their surplus food. Ramping up their services during Covid-19, City Harvest has been working hard collecting fresh, nutritious food and delivering it to organisations, from homeless shelters to soup kitchens to children's programmes, who cook meals for those who need it. They’ve delivered more than 12 million meals to date. They need volunteers in their warehouse, checking and sorting food donations before they’re sent out. Find out more here.
NURTURE THROUGH NATURE, BRIGHTON
An award-winning charity growing vegetables for local food banks in Brighton, Nurture through Nature works with volunteers to grow food on their local allotments. In particular, they encourage volunteers who are unemployed or isolated to join them. Find out more here.
TOO GOOD TO GO, NATIONWIDE
The food-waste-fighting app Too Good To Go lets you find and rescue food from cafés, restaurants, hotels, shops and supermarkets so it gets eaten instead of thrown away. Not a free app, Too Good To Go makes it possible to find good food at discount prices.
FARESHARE, NATIONWIDE
FareShare is the UK’s longest running food redistribution charity. Over 900,000 people access FareShare’s food every week that has been redistributed from businesses that would otherwise chuck it away. They have plenty of volunteer opportunities across the UK.
FOODCYCLE, NATIONWIDE
FoodCycle cooks up hot meals and serves it up to local communities. Now that many vulnerable people are unable to meet together around a table, FoodCycle now delivers nutritious, cooked meals to people’s homes. There are plenty of volunteer roles, from food delivery drivers to people who can check in and chat to people isolating on their own at home.
