Since the start of 2021, FoodCloud with the help of their food industry partners has supported the redistribution of 1,344 tonnes of surplus food, the equivalent of 3.2M meals.

The redistributed food has helped and aided over 700 community organisations through their three hubs and technology platform.

This number follows their record of 7.2M meals distributed in Ireland last year.

Internationally, 4,643 tonnes of food have been reallocated through their platform by Tesco and Waitrose in support of their partner FareShare.

Demand For Food

In January 2021, FoodCloud carried out a survey with their Irish community partners, where 67% of respondents indicated the demand for food will only continue to increase in 2021.

In addition to this, 34% of those surveyed had to scale up their redistribution of food or adjust how they provided the food due to increased demand.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three hubs stationed in Ireland were handing out 25 tonnes of food a week, in the first three months of 2021 this average had increased to 40 tonnes a week.

According to FoodCloud climate and COVID-19 have highlighted the issues of food waste and food insecurity.

Over the past few months, their Irish partners have begun initiatives to reduce the  waste, and donate their surplus

Aldi Ireland donated an extra €25K worth of surplus food while Musgrave MarketPlace reached the milestone of €1M euro value of food donated to FoodCloud since 2016.

Mars launched the ‘Food For Change’ campaign, which aimed to redistribute 60,000 meals for FoodCloud and Danone’s launched their ‘Give Communities Your Best Shot’ campaign.

Since the beginning of 2021, a further 22 donation partners have joined the cause to donate and distribute their surplus of food.

The additional partners include the likes of Ikea Ireland Ltd, Domino Pizza Group, Irish Cinema Society, Golden Bake, The Naked Collective Ltd, and more.

FoodCloud and AIB

FoodCloud also announced the renewal of their partnership with AIB for another 3 years, they began the partnership in 2018 and it was intended to end in 2020.

Since their collaboration, AIB has helped the distribution of 15.1 million meals, and the recent renewal will see an advancement in the expansion of their technology beyond retail to the wider supply chain, enabling growers to rescue more food at an agricultural level.

Climate Change Awareness

In an attempt to combat food systems accounting for 30% of carbon emissions and taking control of food waste in the EU, FoodCloud set up its first climate awareness in late February.

The campaign is supported by Rethink Ireland’s Growth Fund and the Department of Rural and Community Development via The Dormant Accounts Fund