ABP has today (Thursday, September 7) announced a three-year partnership with non-profit social enterprise FoodCloud to redistribute over 140t of surplus food.
Through the partnership it is expected that 142.5t of food will be rescued, delivering approximately 345,000 meals to FoodCloud’s community and voluntary partners.
FoodCloud works with retailers, food companies, government and businesses to redistribute surplus food and drive progress towards a circular economy that minimises waste.
The redistribution of surplus food over the three-year period is anticipated to save over 457t of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions, according to ABP.
Up to 600 community groups a year are expected to benefit from the three-year partnership with FoodCloud, according to ABP.
“The cost-of-living crisis means that many community and voluntary organisations are experiencing increases in demand for food and other services.
“This partnership with ABP will enable us to redistribute more surplus food through our hubs to those who need it,” co-founder and interim CEO of FoodCloud, Aoibheann O’Brien said.
ABP and FoodCloud partnership
Commenting on the partnership, HR director at ABP Ireland, Bernie McGeough, said: “We are delighted to partner with FoodCloud on this exciting and dynamic partnership.
“We look forward to working with our colleagues across the Irish business to heighten awareness of the climate impact of food waste, and to help them become food waste champions at home and in their local communities.”
Employee engagement across all ABP Ireland sites will be encouraged, including through volunteering, food waste and climate awareness campaigns, and local community programmes.
As of now, FoodCloud redistributed over 93,000t of surplus food through its technology platform and physical hubs which is over 220 million meals, avoiding almost 300,000t of CO2 equivalent.
ABP’s sustainability strategy includes carbon-reduction initiatives for beef production as well as the provision of circular solutions for food waste from the food service and hospitality sectors.
The renewables division of the agri-business company, Olleco, converts food waste and used cooking oils into renewable power and biofuels, according to ABP.