Danone UK has entered into a three-year partnership with FoodCycle, a charity that transforms surplus food into healthy meals for anyone that needs them, with the help of volunteers.
Through this initiative, the partners seek to deliver more than 200,000 nutritious meals to communities across the UK, and save approximately 88 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste.
Danone will donate £300,000 to FoodCycle to support existing community projects and the rollout to new locations.
The food giant will encourage employees to volunteer at FoodCycle as part of Danone UK’s unlimited volunteer days programme.
Moreover, its team of nutritionists and dieticians will collaborate with FoodCycle to support the development of recipes that balance nutritional value with affordability, the company said.
'Access To Healthy Food'
Hannah Cornick, head of sustainability and social innovation at Danone UK & Ireland said, "At Danone UK, we believe everyone should have access to healthy food – whatever their circumstance. This is why we are extremely proud to be announcing our partnership with FoodCycle.
"It is particularly pertinent now – at a time when many are turning to community-based projects to ease the financial pressure of feeding themselves and their families. It is also why we were passionate that the partnership should include the joint development of recipes and resources, to support FoodCycle in their aim to nourish the hungry, connect communities and promote sustainable, healthy attitudes towards food."
Around two-thirds of people who access the services of FoodCycle cannot afford to buy the food they need, according to research conducted by the food charity.
FoodCycle allows people to enjoy a free cooked meal, thereby saving on food and electricity bills, while connecting with fellow members of the community.
Cost Of Living
Mary McGrath, chief executive officer of FoodCycle said, "Food poverty and loneliness are growing issues and with the cost of living continuing to increase at a rapid rate, people need our services more than ever. We are so excited to have Danone UK onboard as a partner for the next three years.
"Many of our projects have already welcomed members of the Danone community into the kitchen as volunteers. With this partnership, we look forward to tapping into the business’ 50 plus years of knowledge and expertise in nutrition to support the FoodCycle network with training, recipes and resources."
Partnership In Ireland
Danone's partnership with FoodCycle sits alongside its partnership with FoodCloud in Ireland.
The partnership aims to help FoodCloud increase the volume of food redistributed by 10% and increase the number of charities and community groups it supports.
FoodCloud is a social enterprise tackling the twin issues of food waste and food insecurity to provide financial support, as well as a nutrition education programme.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-brands news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
