Premier Foods and FareShare announced yesterday (Thursday, November 10) a new long-term partnership aimed at tackling food waste and supporting those in food poverty.
Premier Foods, one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers, will provide food donations to FoodShare, who will redistribute to nearly 9,500 charities and community groups in its network.
The partnership, which will span five years, will also see Premier Foods provide funding to FareShare’s 31 warehouses across the UK.
Following the recent launch of FareShare’s cost-of-living crisis appeal for food donations, it was revealed that 9.9 million people in the UK are struggling to afford to eat.
The charity also said 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted across the food industry every year in the UK, with 4.5 million tonnes coming from the home.
This equates to a UK household throwing away an average of eight meals a week.
Commenting on the partnership, Alex Whitehouse, CEO of Premier Foods, said: “Food poverty is an issue that impacts more than one in 10 people in the UK. Yet, at the same time, over 2 million tonnes of edible food is wasted every year, the equivalent to 1.3 billion meals.
“As one of the UK’s leading food businesses, and home to some of the nation’s favourite brands, we know we have a key role to play in tackling these important, interlinked issues and believe we can make a real difference in the communities we operate in.
“That’s why back in 2017 we pledged to halve our food waste by 50% by 2030 and in the first year of the pandemic alone, we donated 600,000 meals to local communities.
“However, it’s now time to dial up our progress, which is why, last year, we reiterated our commitments and set bold targets to help provide food to those who need it most, volunteer our time and reduce the amount of food we send to waste.
“I’m delighted that, through this partnership with FareShare, a charity aligned to our purpose and ambitions in our Enriching Life Plan, we’re going to spend the next five years working together to do just that.”
Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to be partnering with Premier Foods to help achieve their commitments to deliver the equivalent of 1 million meals and 1,000 volunteering days a year, which will help us get good-to-eat, surplus food, that may otherwise go to waste, to our network of nearly 9,500 charities across the UK.
“Alongside this, we’re honoured to be part of their ambitions to halve the company’s food waste by 2030, which aligns perfectly with our mission to tackle food waste and hunger in the UK.”
