Latest news with #foodrescue
BBC News
07-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Towcester Community Larder to hand out leftover Silverstone food
More than eight tonnes of leftover food from the British Grand Prix have been saved from landfill and are to be given out to local Community Larder will distribute the food collected from Silverstone Circuit at an event on Islington Road from 18:00 is the fifth year that the larder has organised a "food rescue" mission, with about 500 people taking advantage of last year's Steele from the larder said the event was free and "open to everyone", but prioritised those in hardship as well as school, council and social housing networks. Ms Steele told BBC Radio Northampton's Liz Jeeves: "For a scale of a pop-up like this, we really need to open it up to everyone to make sure that the food goes out instead of being wasted."The leftovers have been collected by a team of food-hygiene trained volunteers before being sorted and stored ahead of the pop-up event. The food is taken from caterers who operated at the Grand Prix. Last year it included fruit, vegetables, pastries and cold meatsThe first rescue mission four years ago involved just two cars but Ms Steele said the scale of the operation had "massively, massively increased".She said: "It's definitely changed a lot over those four years, but hopefully we've got better at it."We've got a bigger team that goes and we can make the most [of it] and get as much as we possibly can without any going in the bin."Queues are expected at the pop-up event, and Towcester Community Larder said it would share updates on its Facebook larders exist to reduce unsold food and pass it on to members who pay a small subscription. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Dissapointment and grief as food rescue service set to close
There is disappointment and grief that a food rescue service and community hub in Wellington is set to close after 15 years. The Free Store redistributes surplus food from more than 60 eateries free to those in need, saying last year alone it rescued 42,000 kilograms of food. But for many, it's the sense of kinship and community the store has created that makes it really special, with one of its volunteers even offering to walk the length of the country to save it. Maisie Arnold-Barron reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
'We are deeply heartbroken': Free food service shuts doors after 15 years
By Maisie Arnold-Barron Photo: Supplied Free Store Wellington, which has operated next to St Peters church on Willis Street for more than a decade, has announced it will permanently close its doors. The service redistributes food for free every weekday to hundreds of people, donated by more than 60 eateries. The store said in 2024 it rescued 42,000 kilograms of food, contributed to 126,000 kilograms of CO2-equivalent emissions reductions, and racked up 15,000 volunteer hours. Spokesperson Scott Reeve said he was "heartbroken" but the decision was made after a significant drop in regular donations. "We've tried really hard to keep it going, and we are aware of the huge impact this is going to have on people that really need it," he said. He blamed the increasingly complex needs of clientele, intensified by national policy shifts which made life more difficult for people who were struggling, and the toll on his staff who worked alongside those highly vulnerable people. Photo: Supplied Reeve was disappointed by the charity's closure, and hoped people would be able to fill the gaps. "We should all be looking at the person next door and the stranger on the street, and thinking about how we help this person because there's some real challenges for charities being able to do that at the moment." Free Store Wellington will reduce operations from next week, dropping to three days a week, with its final day on 11 July.
Zawya
21-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa Harvest expands national fleet with new trucks
Food rescue and hunger relief organisation, SA Harvest has expanded its national fleet with the addition of several new trucks, including a refrigerated unit. This development marks a milestone in SA Harvest's mission to rewire South Africa's food system by transforming logistics inefficiencies into opportunities for equity and environmental impact. Every year, more than 10 million tonnes of edible food goes to waste in South Africa, while nearly 20 million people face hunger. The challenge lies not in food production but in getting surplus food to where it's needed. 'Hunger is a logistical crisis, not a scarcity crisis,' says Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest. 'We don't aim to build the biggest fleet, but rather the most effective, collaborative movement of food in the country.' The new trucks will allow SA Harvest to access more remote and underserved areas, increase the volume of food transported, and improve resilience across its operations. The addition of a temperature-controlled unit also enhances cold-chain capability, ensuring the safe transport of perishable, nutrient-rich food over long distances. Each vehicle is an operational extension of SA Harvest's commitment to dignified and consistent food access. The power of SA Harvest's logistics model lies not in scale, but in smart, purpose-driven partnerships. While it operates a lean, targeted fleet, much of its distribution is made possible through collaborations with logistics providers who contribute underutilised resources, including empty return legs and short-term vehicle support. Case in point An example of this is a recent large-scale collaboration with a local farmer, one of South Africa's major producers of fresh vegetables, illustrates the power of SA Harvest's model. When a surplus of over 200,000kgs of butternut became available - produce that risked going to waste due to seasonal oversupply - SA Harvest mobilised swiftly. Through coordination with multiple logistics partners, the butternut was collected and delivered to over 40 community-based organisations in two provinces, where it was distributed to families facing food insecurity. In return, logistics partners receive Section 18A tax certificates for in-kind transport donations, access to environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting data such as carbon emissions prevented, and public recognition for their role in a replicable, systems-based approach to hunger relief. Technology plays a central role in the organisation's operations. SA Harvest integrates real-time analytics and a central Power BI dashboard to track key metrics, including food volumes rescued, emissions avoided, delivery efficiency, and cost savings to community partners. This infrastructure of vehicles, warehouses and digital systems supports a humanitarian supply chain built for transparency, impact and long-term sustainability. SA Harvest is inviting more logistics providers to join its growing network. Whether through occasional unused routes, shared warehouse space or temporary access to transport, the logistics industry can make a measurable difference. 'In the right hands, logistics becomes more than transport,' says Nel. 'It becomes a bridge between waste and want - a way to create meaningful, lasting change.'
