Arla donates equivalent of 10 million meals with FareShare

Arla said it has donated equivalent of 10 million meals to charity partner FareShare as of Monday (4 March).

The leading dairy cooperative has been a dedicated and longstanding charity partner with FareShare for over eight years, continuing to support the valuable work they do across their UK sites. The food redistribution charity works with the industry to take good-to-eat surplus food, which might otherwise go to waste, and redistribute it to a network of 8,500 charities and community groups across the country.

When the partnership first began in 2017, Arla introduced a process across its sites that enabled any unsold stock to be regularly offered to FareShare. In 2022 alone, Arla diverted the equivalent of over 1 million meals of surplus dairy products. Since the initiative has been introduced, the company successfully provides food weekly across the eight-year period.

“We’re incredibly grateful to work with such a meaningful charity and help get nutritional-rich dairy into the hands of even more people over the UK,” Catriona Mantle, head of milk, organic and yogurts at Arla, said.

“Since kick-starting our partnership with FareShare, we have implemented a seamless process with our UK sites to re-distribute surplus food waste and transfer it into healthy meals for those in need. Dairy is a core staple of so many much-loved dishes across the nation and as our work together grows, we are committed to elevating our support.”

Simon Millard, director of food at FareShare, added: “We are enormously grateful to the team at Arla for their continued support and reaching the significant milestone of providing the equivalent of 10 million meals. Since 2017 Arla has provided weekly surplus dairy products to help support our network of 8,500 charities across the UK, from afterschool and breakfast clubs to hospices, domestic abuse refuges and homelessness shelters.

“With demand at an all-time high due to the cost of living crisis, the support of our partners in the food industry is more important than ever. By providing surplus dairy products, Arla has made a huge difference to ensuring that good food goes to people, not waste, and helped support and strengthen communities across the country.”