Cork community and charity groups have received the equivalent of over 10 million meals as a result of the partnership between AIB and FoodCloud, with surplus food being redistributed through various initiatives and support services.
The latest efforts centre around the AIB FoodCloud Community Meals Programme which is helping more local groups to turn surplus food into nutritious, freshly prepared meals from rescued ingredients. Since the partnership started back in 2018, support services in Cork city and county have benefited from over four thousand tonnes (4,200) of food, which amounts to the equivalent of over ten million meals and has avoided approximately 12,300 tonnes CO2 equivalent emissions.
This long-standing partnership has gone from strength to strength with further initiatives being highlighted at a recent event held at University College Cork (UCC) to discuss how student pantries are reducing food waste and building sustainable communities by redistributing food on college campuses across Ireland. In attendance were representatives from AIB and FoodCloud, along with leaders from the UCC Students’ Union and student bodies in different parts of the country, showcasing the impact it is delivering for college communities in redistributing perfectly good surplus food. This amounts to 700kg of food on a weekly basis at UCC alone.
The AIB Community Meals Programme is also being supported by FoodCloud Kitchen, which helps to prepare nutritious meals for local charities and support services that may have limited cooking capacity. On top of adding to the traditional redistribution of surplus food, the programme has also proved to cultivate stronger community connections, with local groups and Family Resource Centres (FRCs) reporting that the provision of shared meals can increase the levels of engagement with their local support services.
Global Growth
Beyond the local and national impact, FoodCloud has also just announced a series of major milestones as it scales its food redistribution technology globally, reinforcing Ireland’s position as a hub of excellence in food rescue innovation.
