FOOD RECOVERY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Food Banks Canada supports the food bank network through our National Food Sharing System, sharing large scale donations throughout the country, supported by donors.

Through the National Food Sharing System, Food Banks Canada acquires large quantities of safe, healthy foods and other essential items from corporate donors, and then shares them efficiently with provincial hubs for sorting. 

The provincial hubs in turn ensure that donated food and other essential items are distributed equitably to the network of food banks and community organizations, prioritizing people who are the most vulnerable to food insecurity.

This work is supported by transport and warehousing partners across Canada, ensuring the product is transported in a safe and efficient manner to the areas of greatest need.

Over the last 10 years, this program has shared 112 Million lbs of food to food banks across Canada.

 
Starting in 2012, Food Banks Canada has been able to leverage this unique gap, working with key partners to support communities through our Retail Food Program. This program pairs participating national grocery chain locations with community food banks across the country to provide a regular, ongoing supply of essential food and household items.

Through this program and our partnerships with Walmart Canada and Loblaw Companies Limited, we’ve seen many successes. Most notably, in the 2021–2022 fiscal year, over 19 million pounds of food was acquired and shared with food banks across the country. With a network of nearly 5,000 communities and over 650 participating retail stores, perishable food like eggs, milk, produce, and meat were put in the hands of food bankers helping people on the ground, and stocked food bank shelves that were running low.

Food Recovery is at the core of our success as a food bank.  We provide grocery retailers, wholesales and national distributors with a simple method of disposing of all food they are getting rid of.  We accept virtually all food regardless of quality and volume.  Most of the food we access comes through providing local retailers with 7 day a week pick up food. Food is picked up in plastic donation bins we provide and then brought back to our warehouse.  At our warehouse, food  is sorted by staff and volunteers to ensure food is put to its highest and best use.    We access between 120,000kg and 170,000kg of food every month.  70% of this food is provided to people with the remaining 30% not being suitable for human consumption and so is provided to local farmers or composted.  We have been able to access so much food that we are now providing deliveries of food free of charge to communities across Vancouver Island.

“Food Recovery has provided a cost effective way to ensure there’s an abundance of healthy food available to people in need.  With such abundance people can come 7 days a week for their choice of fresh produce and bread!”    

– Peter Sinclair, Executive Director Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank

Learn more at https://viloavesandfishes.org/about-us/food-4-u/