Nearly 60% of all food in Canada is wasted - FoodRescue.ca expands to BC to help change that
Loblaw commits over $400,000 to Second Harvest to support a free, innovative platform that tackles food waste, food insecurity, and climate change
VANCOUVER, June 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Second Harvest further solidified their commitment to tackle food waste in Canada with the expansion of FoodRescue.ca to British Columbia. Made possible by a donation of $415,000 from Loblaw to Second Harvest, this free online platform connects food businesses directly with social services and non-profit organizations who feed people in need.
First launched in Ontario in 2018, FoodRescue.ca is a platform that leverages Second Harvest's 34 years of food rescue experience, helping to limit avoidable food waste while enabling businesses to reduce their environmental footprint and provide healthy, nutritious food to people in need. Businesses simply register and outline how much and what type of food they have available, and registered social service organizations will then get email or text alerts about new donations in the area. The innovative tool can be used in any market by both food producers and non-profit organizations.
"Expanding our service is something we have been working towards since our launch in Ontario in 2018, and we want to thank Loblaw for making this a reality," said Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel. "All across Canada, there's so much great food being thrown away and we wanted to bring our solution to BC where there is such a natural alignment of values to help both communities and the environment. We're delighted to be able to help the people of BC work towards a more sustainable future. By changing the way we think about food and food waste, we can make a huge difference to the planet, starting in our own neighbourhoods."
Working together for more than 30 years, Loblaw and Second Harvest are proud to expand this innovative solution to Western Canada and foster connections in Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
"We are in the business of providing food to Canadians, not wasting it," said Sarah Davis, President, Loblaw Companies Limited. "Our relationship with Second Harvest and the expansion of the FoodRescue.ca platform allows us to better serve our communities by redirecting food to make sure it gets to those who need it most."
As a recipient of generous donations from Loblaw, via FoodRescue.ca, the Surrey Food Bank is delighted with this new solution. "Serving over 14,000 people per month in Surrey and North Delta, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to acquire healthy and nutritious food to help our low-income neighbours. The Surrey Food Bank is excited about opportunities like FoodRescue.ca that allow us access to local high-quality items, and help to build partnerships with local suppliers. This new tool will be a great additional way to aid in our client programming and serve those most vulnerable in our community," said Feezah Jaffer, Executive Director of Surrey Food Bank.
The issue of food waste is reaching critical levels in Canada. Findings from Second Harvest's 2019 report, The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste conclude:
- Nearly 60 per cent of all food produced in Canada is lost and wasted annually, 11.2M metric tonnes of which is good, edible food that could be rescued and redirected to support people in our communities.
- 56.5M metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions are created by food waste in Canada every year.
Visit FoodRescue.ca for more information.
About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is the largest food rescue organization in Canada and a global thought leader on food recovery. Working across the supply chain – from farm to retail – they capture surplus food before it ends up in landfill and needlessly has a negative environmental impact. For 34 years, Second Harvest has redirected more than 140 million pounds of food and prevented over 128 million pounds of greenhouse gas equivalents from entering our atmosphere. Supported by hundreds of corporations, foundations, and the community at large, Second Harvest rescues and delivers enough food to provide over 34,000 meals every day in Canada, benefiting a growing network of over 370 social service organizations across Canada.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is the nation's largest retailer, providing Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, financial services, and wireless mobile products and services. Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well® – promotes the needs and wellbeing of Canadians, who make one billion transactions annually in the company's stores. With more than 2,400 corporate, franchised and associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and associate-owners employ almost 200,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers.
SOURCE Second Harvest
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