Many ACT households experience food insecurity due to systemic barriers and the rising cost of living, but a new food donation project aims to get excess food from supermarkets into Canberra’s communities.

By diverting excess supermarket food from landfill, the Food Donation Network will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will help people who are food insecure.

The project is supported by ACT Government and is being led by the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, which just delivered a
similar NSW Environment Protection Authority food donation project across eight south east NSW councils.

The Food Donation Network will work alongside OzHarvest and SecondBite to help provide local charities with quality surplus
food. The project will also help supermarkets achieve their zero waste commitments.

ALDI aims to send zero food waste to landfill by 2023 and Woolworths is aiming for 2025. Coles has an ambition of zero food waste and a specific target to divert 85 per cent of solid waste from landfill by mid-2025.

Food waste in landfill produces methane gases, which is a significant contributor towards climate change. It’s also an expensive
issue, costing the Australian economy $36.6 billion a year, according to experts at the Food Innovation Australia Limited.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Food Bank Hunger Report found that the demand for food relief went up by 47 per cent from pre-COVID-19 levels.

Supermarkets represent the greatest opportunity in food rescue, due to their large volumes of food and commitment to connect with local charities.

The Food Donation Network is keen to hear from any food relief agencies that would like to partner with a supermarket to receive quality excess food.

Visit crjo.nsw.gov.au to get involved or email Jess Fordyce at [email protected]

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