Tesco donates 130,000 meals to people in Donegal in ten years

Over 100,000 meals have been donated to community groups, across the county, over the past decade, through the Tesco Ireland’s Food Surplus Redistribution programme.

The programme has seen 130,000 meals donated from Tesco’s stores in Letterkenny. The meals have helped We Care LK Foodbank in Letterkenny and other organisations like them to feed people living in food poverty.  

Working with FoodCloud and Olio, and over 350 local charitable and voluntary groups nationwide, Tesco redistributes surplus food at the end of each day to those who need it most in local communities. Typical donations comprise fruit and vegetables, bakery goods, meat and more.

In ten years of partnership, diverting this surplus food from going to waste to those in Irish communities who need it, Tesco has significantly reduced emissions associated with the processing of this waste.

In 2013, Tesco became the first retailer to partner with FoodCloud nationally, and in the 10 years working together, its surplus food programme has delivered almost 20 million meals to help feed people living in food insecurity. The programme, which is in operation across Ireland, has expanded into the UK, Czechia, and Slovakia.

Research conducted by FoodCloud in July of this year shows that families with children make up almost half (47%) of all those benefitting from food donations, while three quarters (75%) of community groups had experienced an increased demand for food in the last six months. On average, Tesco Ireland redistributes up to 40,000 meals every week to over 350 charitable groups across groups across the country.

Marking this important milestone, Tesco Ireland Communications Director, Rosemary Garth, said: “As a grocery retailer we have no time for waste and are absolutely committed to ensuring that no good food goes to waste when there are people in our communities who need it. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved since we launched our national Surplus Food Donations Programme powered by FoodCloud 10 years ago. 

"In that time, we have provided almost 20 million meals to the most vulnerable in our own communities, with over 130,000 in Donegal alone. This has enabled the charitable and voluntary sector in Ireland to save over €23 million off their food bills to date, which, according to FoodCloud, has empowered them to invest in providing a greater level of support services in towns and cities nationwide. We’re a firm believer that every little helps, and we’re proud to have supported Donegal groups such as We Care LK Foodbank who need our help.”

Co-founder of FoodCloud, Aoibheann O’Brien said: “Tesco’s commitment to eliminating edible food waste from their stores has been a driving force in our work to tackle food waste at a national and international level. Through our strong partnership with Tesco, we have continued to grow our impact, innovate, and push boundaries around what is possible around food redistribution. We have worked together to reduce food waste for 10 years, expanding across four countries."  

Tesco Ireland has been appointed as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) champion for 2023-2024 by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD. As a grocery retailer, Tesco is particularly committed to tackling SDG2 which aims to tackle hunger. In 2013, Tesco became the first national retailer in Ireland to partner with FoodCloud which now connects us with over 350 local charitable groups and enabling us to redistribute surplus food at the end of each day to families in need.   

The company has made considerable progress towards its climate action targets to date, with energy efficiency upgrades taken on refrigeration, lighting, and heating systems across its network of 167 stores. 

To find out more about Tesco Ireland’s surplus food donation programme, visit TescoIreland.ie