Food In Canada

Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Second Harvest have 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 B.C. 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 B.C. 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.

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 “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.

 


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