Mars Ireland has announced the return of the Food for Change programme, in partnership with FoodCloud, for the third consecutive year.
Following the significant success of the programme since its launch in 2021, Mars Ireland noted that it has committed further support to the 2023 Food for Change programme, which will see the donation of €20,000.
This will support the redistribution of the equivalent of 60,000 meals to community organisations across Ireland, in partnership with FoodCloud, Mars added.
Commenting on the partnership, Amelie Johnson, portfolio manager at Mars North Europe, said, “At Mars, we believe that everyone should have access to simple, nutritious meals.
“We’re proud to renew Mars’ Food for Change programme for a third year, and to continue our partnership with FoodCloud, to support their incredible work, both in terms of supporting communities and reducing food waste.”
Programme To Date
To date, the programme has supported the equivalent of over 180,000 meals donated to FoodCloud’s network of charity and community groups.
This year’s Food for Change campaign will see Mars Ireland make a contribution of €20,000 to FoodCloud, supported across the Dolmio and Ben’s Original brands in participating retailers for the months of March and April.
Aoibheann O’Brien, co-founder and head of partnerships at FoodCloud, added, “Families across Ireland are struggling to put food on the table, particularly in light of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
“As a result, the many food charities and community groups on the ground are witnessing significant increases in demand.
“FoodCloud, as an organisation, rely heavily on the generosity and goodwill of partner organisations to meet this demand.”
Surplus Food
Mars Ireland highlighted that it donates any surplus food that arises in its operations to FoodCloud, resulting in the rescue of 32 tonnes of surplus food in 2022.
Mars Ireland employees will also support the organisation through volunteer hours – last year, Mars Ireland associates carried out more than 200 volunteering hours at its hub in Tallaght and plan to do so again in 2023, the company noted.
To date, the Food for Change partnership has redistributed meals, saving over 76 tonnes of food from going to waste.
The campaign will be live in Dunnes Stores from 22 March, in SuperValu, Centra and Daybreak from 23 March, and in Tesco from 12 April.
Read More: Mars Ireland Launches ‘Food For Change’ In Partnership With FoodCloud
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