The social enterprise FoodCloud Hubs has announced it is partnering with the Department of Social Protection (DPS) to implement an EU programme to provide food to the most deprived in Ireland.
The EU Fund for European Aid to most Deprived (FEAD) will provide €3 million worth of food to over 60,000 people in long term homelessness, as well as victims of domestic abuse, children in low income households and others marginalised in Ireland.
The FEAD is an EU-wide programme to help people take their first steps out of poverty and social exclusion. It is managed by the DPS and is co-funded by European funding and the Irish exchequer.
Procured Food
FoodCloud has historically redistributed surplus food from businesses to charities. Under the FEAD programme, it is now also dealing with procured food.
Through the programme, the company will be responsible for procurement, storage and distribution of non-perishable goods, such as breakfast cereals, porridge, soups, pasta and rice as well as canned vegetables among others. The foodstuffs are then provided to eligible organisations based on a regular, specified food collection schedule.
It will make the food available for collection from its three regional hubs in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
“The FoodCloud and FoodCloud Hub models have proven to work incredibly well in managing food surplus and unsold food between retailers, the food industry and local charities,” said Deirdre Clune MEP for Ireland South, who welcomed the FEAD program and recently visited the FoodCloud Hub in Cork to see how the programme was progressing.
“Now, thanks to EU funding, the FEAD programme provides non-perishable food to those most in need in a very structured and sustained way,” Clune added. “Given the tonnes of food waste in Ireland alone, this programme is a win-win.”
"We've had growing support from the food industry in Ireland, with over 100 businesses now supplying surplus,” said Eimear Delahunty, FoodCloud Cork Hub. “Much of this food tends to be fresh and perishable food. The addition of the FEAD programme has been fantastic for our 150 partner charities. They now have a supply of store-cupboard items such as tea and rice that are a perfect addition to their surplus products. This has had huge benefits for their organisations both in terms of savings and services delivered."
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
