Tesco Ireland’s FoodCloud initiative spreads to UK
Company aims to ensure surplus food is redistributed to those in need
Print4 June 2015
After a successful scheme here in Ireland last year, Tesco’s commitment to donating surplus food to local charities is spreading to the UK with the launch of FareShare-FoodCloud, to be piloted in 10 Tesco UK stores.
New figures released show that of 55,400 tonnes of food wasted within Tesco’s operation last year, more than half of that could have otherwise been eaten. To give an idea of scale, 55,400 tonnes represents just 1% of Tesco’s food operation. “To reduce this amount,” says Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco, “we’ll be working in partnership with FareShare-FoodCloud to ensure any food left unsold in our stores at the end of each day is given to local charities.”
FareShare-FoodCloud represents the cooperation of two organisations that have already seen excellent results in their own areas of food redistribution. FoodCloud, established in Ireland by Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien, employs an app that allows Tesco managers to alert local charities to the amount of surplus food they have at the end of each day. The charities collect the food and distribute it to those in need in the local community.
FareShare, meanwhile, will use its existing knowledge of food redistribution to assure maximum success in the new UK venture. “Customers get angry when they see food going to waste, and so do we,” says Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FoodShare. “That’s why we have spent 20 years developing our redistribution model, with great success.”
“This is potentially the biggest single step we’ve taken to cut food waste,” says Dave Lewis, “and we hope it marks the start of eliminating the need to throw away edible food in our stores.”
For more information visit: www.fareshare.org.uk/fareshare-foodcloud.
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