MONTREAL, Feb. 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Bel Canada, a major food player offering healthy dairy, fruit and vegetable products, Congebec, the Canadian leader in the logistics and management of chilled and frozen food products, and Food Banks of Quebec, a provincial association of 34 Moisson and associated members serving nearly 1,300 affiliated local community organizations, today announced an extraordinary partnership to reduce food waste and redistribute products to the FBQ network. At a time when requests for food aid are greater than ever, this innovative initiative makes it possible to recover and redistribute food, which is in line with the shared goal of Bel Canada and Congebec, which is to reduce food waste.
"At Bel Group, our mission is to provide healthy and responsible food for everyone. We are proud of the tangible measures we have implemented to achieve our goal of zero product destruction in our Canadian operations, particularly at our Babybel® manufacturing plant in Sorel-Tracy," says Marie-Eve Robert, VP Marketing and CSR at Bel Canada. "More than 46% of food is wasted every year in Canada. This program, in collaboration with Congebec and Food Banks of Quebec, will play a key role in the fight against food waste and insecurity while optimizing the performance of our supply chain. As a sector leader, we hope our commitment will encourage other companies to join this great collaboration."
Initially set up by Congebec, this initiative aims to recover unsellable food from the supply chain. Unique in Canada, this Congebec initiative is being rolled out in three strategic stages: offering free storage space to Food Banks of Quebec, encouraging the participation of its customers and providing support in the supply chain to maximize food sharing. For example, when products are damaged but still edible, they are transferred to the storage spaces that Congebec makes available to Quebec food banks.
"Our expertise in logistics and freezing is unique in the food supply chain, and that is why we are committed to supporting the food aid network to preserve food and enable its optimal distribution," says Nicholas-P. Pedneault, CEO of Congebec. "Since the official announcement of our partnership with Food Banks of Quebec in 2023, the impact on our communities in terms of food aid and through our crucial role in preventing food waste has been strongly felt. The freezing services we offer give food banks access to high-value products like Bel Canada's. Through this new partnership, we want to demonstrate that, as a corporate citizen, we have an important role to play in the fight against food waste and food insecurity."
According to FBQ, there has been a 13% increase in requests for food aid, which have been fulfilled each month since 2023, and one million more requests since 2021. In total, 35% of the beneficiaries are children, 36% are adults living alone, and 20% have a job as their primary source of income.
"Since 2019, requests have been increasing at an unprecedented rate. Our members are doing everything they can to meet the demand. Unfortunately, we do not see any signs of a slowdown that would suggest a brighter future, and the Aviseo study confirms this," says Martin Munger, Executive Director at Food Banks of Quebec. "We strongly believe that collaboration is the key to fighting food insecurity, which is why this innovative partnership with Bel Canada and Congebec is so valuable. We hope this initiative will encourage other companies and industry leaders to join us."
About Bel Canada
Bel Canada is a subsidiary of Bel Group, a world leader in branded cheeses and a major player in the healthy snack market with distribution in nearly 120 countries. Created in 2005 to boost the development of the Group's activities in Canada, the subsidiary now employs 250 people, including 95 at its headquarters in Montreal, contributing to the Group's mission of providing healthier and more responsible food for all. Its brands Boursin® and The Laughing Cow® are produced under subcontract in Canada with local partners and Babybel® is produced at the company's plant in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Bel Canada Group also owns MOM Group, makers of GoGo squeeZ® fruit pouches based in Toronto. To learn more, www.bel-canada.ca. To learn more about Bel Group, visit www.groupe-bel.com.
About Congebec
Congebec is a Canadian multi-temperature logistics provider of value-added distribution services for the food, retail and packaged goods industries. Committed to food safety, Congebec is a leader in the Canadian market, ranking 7th in North America and 13th worldwide. With 500 employees and 50 years of experience, the company operates 11 modern facilities totaling over 65 million cubic feet. These facilities are strategically located in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. For more information, visit www.congebec.com.
About Food Banks of Quebec
The Food Banks of Quebec (FBQ) network is present throughout Quebec with its 34 regional members, many of which operate under the Moisson name. They provide nutritious foodstuffs to 1,300 affiliated community organizations delivering food assistance to 556,000 people a month. Since 1988, the FBQ has made it possible for resources, expertise and information to be pooled to fight food insecurity and alleviate hunger among vulnerable populations. https://banquesalimentaires.org/en/
SOURCE Bel Group
For information or interviews : Serge Vallières, [email protected], +1 438-372-3575
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