Woolworths will give an immediate financial boost to its hunger relief partners Foodbank, OzHarvest, and FareShare, delivering the equivalent of more than 13 million additional meals to Australians in need.
The additional financial support is 100 per cent funded by Woolworths Group as a corporate donation of $9 million across Australia and New Zealand. It represents a year’s worth of the retailer’s support in a single boost to help charities immediately respond to unprecedented food insecurity, and it represents one of the most significant single donations from Woolworths Group to a social cause.
The 13 million meals are in addition to the equivalent of 28 million meals created in Australia through Woolworth's food diversion initiatives over the past year, which see excess edible food from Woolworths supermarkets and distribution centres collected by food relief partners.
The donation comes as Woolworths data reveals 40 per cent of Australians are struggling to make ends meet, with some saying they are skipping meals as a result.
Foodbank has tracked the number of Australians searching for food relief following each Cash Rate increase over the last 12 months (using data from the ‘Find Food’ button on its website). Its data shows that many people are finding themselves looking for food relief for the first time, as finances are further stretched by each interest rate rise, leaving less of the household budget for groceries after housing, electricity and other bills.
Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the additional donation was an opportunity to ‘feed it forward’ and support the households most in need of a helping hand.
“We exist to feed Australians, and we don’t believe that should stop once you leave our stores. Our supermarkets donate excess food to local charities each week, however with more people experiencing food insecurity for the first time, it’s clear that more is needed to provide immediate relief.
“Throughout the year, our customers generously donate to our hunger relief partners, and at a time when it may be harder to find that extra change, we want to do more to help our partners meet the growing demand for these important services,” said Banducci.
Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said that on any given day, more than half a million households were struggling to put a meal on the table.
“Demand for food relief has never been higher, and we’re preparing as best we can for more and more people to need our help - or to need it more often.
“This much-needed injection of funds from Woolworths Group is above and beyond the food, funding and transport support it provides us every day – and it will help us redouble our efforts to get more nutritious, culturally-appropriate food to households right across Australia,” said Casey.
Funding will also be allocated to FareShare’s Meals for the Mob program to support regional and remote Indigenous communities with almost 200,000 extra meals, as well as the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s school breakfast program.
The donation comes as Woolworths Group launches a new initiative, Reducing Food Waste and Hunger, which will work from farm to fridge to help more food go to good use, so less ends up in landfill.
“There is enough food to go around - but unfortunately too much of it is going to waste. We’re set to embark on a renewed mission to redistribute excess food and to help our customers use up what they already have before they buy more.
“By getting more serious about food waste, together we can reduce hunger and create a better tomorrow for people and the planet - and that’s a win-win,” said Banducci.
The renewed commitment will be outlined in the Woolworth's latest sustainability report to be released later this month.
