FoodCloud and Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland have announced a three-year initiative which will see the introduction of a new Food Sourcing Strategy.
Over the past three years, Coca-Cola HBC has supported both FoodCloud in the Republic of Ireland and their counterparts FareShare in Northern Ireland with financial and product donations as well as volunteer hours.
The companies said the new partnership will take a strategic approach to reducing food waste across the island of Ireland and will focus on FoodCloud's objectives of doubling the volume of food redistributed to 5,100 tonnes per year by 2025.
This equates to around 12,000,000 meals redistributed in Ireland and 16,000 tonnes of CO2-eq avoided.
Through this initiative Coca-Cola HBC will support FoodCloud in Ireland and FareShare in Northern Ireland to analyse and review the existing approach to food sourcing and identify challenges and opportunities for growth.
"Tackling food loss and food waste is a key step in combating climate change and in Ireland’s transition to a circular economy," said Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett.
"With over 770,000 tonnes of food waste recorded in 2020, it is vital that producers, suppliers, consumers and Government work together to address this pressing challenge."
Since 2013, FoodCloud has redistributed over 201.3 million meals in Ireland and internationally.
It has also rescued more than 84,555 tonnes of food from going to waste, avoiding over 270,576 tonnes of CO2-equivalent.
"While FoodCloud has made great progress in rescuing and redistributing surplus food, this figure represents only a very small percentage of the 770,300 tonnes of food that is wasted every year in Ireland," said Aoibheann O'Brien, Co-Founder and Partnerships Director, FoodCloud.
"We are still only scratching the surface of surplus potential in Ireland and more needs to be done to achieve the ambitious target of halving food waste by 2023.
"The FoodCloud Food Sourcing Strategy supported by Coca-Cola HBC will be the foundation to significantly grow the volumes of food redistributed across the Irish supply chain by 2025 and support FoodCloud's ambitious vision of a world where no good food goes to waste," she added.
The partnership being announced today builds on Coca-Cola HBC’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2040.
"The journey to NetZero requires partnership across all industries and sectors," said Tom Burke, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"As the largest beverage provider on the island of Ireland and the world's most sustainable beverage company we recognise we have a role to play in leading the industry response and developing partnerships across the sector," he added.
