Doing our bit to combat food insecurity
When we combine 11 years, 2.5 million kilos of dairy food and our Co-operative spirit – we can help combat hunger in Australia and reduce food waste.
All around Australia, there are people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
In fact, in the last year, more than four million Aussies have been in a situation where they have run out of food and have been unable to buy more*.
Last month, Fonterra marked a milestone with our long-term partner, Foodbank, having donated 2.5 million kilos of dairy food over 11 years. On top of the 100,000 litres of scheduled fresh milk donations we make each year, we also donate edible but unsaleable food straight from our sites – food which would otherwise be sent to landfill because of a smudged label, broken biscuit or damaged packaging.
René Dedoncker, Managing Director Fonterra Australia, says Fonterra’s relationship with Foodbank – and the commitment of our people to the cause – goes to show how food businesses can make a real, tangible difference to the communities in which they operate.
“Dairy is one of the key staples sought after by welfare agencies and we don’t want to see any of it go to waste, simply because it can’t be sold due to having a smudged label or damaged packaging,” says Mr Dedoncker.
“Through our partnership with Foodbank, we’re able to bring the goodness of dairy to all Australians, even the most vulnerable, while reducing potential waste at our sites that would otherwise end up in landfill.”
To mark the milestone, we created a video featuring some of the wonderful people at Fonterra who volunteer their time to this great cause. You can watch it - here.