Technology that has helped Tesco deliver surplus food to more than 3,000 UK charities in the past six months picked up two accolades at last night’s annual IGD awards.
The retailer scooped the Sustainable Futures Award for its UK rollout of the FareShare FoodCloud software in March this year, which matches charities in need of food with suitable stores that provide surplus produce free of charge. Project leader at FareShare Kris Gibbon-Walsh won the Leading Light Award.
The three-way partnership between FareShare, FoodCloud and Tesco is live across 800 stores and has already delivered the equivalent of 1.4 million meals to local organisations. By the end of next year, the organisations aim to send all of Tesco’s edible surplus food to charity.
“We firmly believe no food that could be eaten should be wasted,” said a Tesco spokesman. “We’re really proud to have the hard work of our colleagues and partners FareShare and FoodCloud recognised by the IGD’s Sustainable Futures Award. This award, and initiatives like The Grocer’s Waste Not Want Not campaign play an important role in raising awareness and helping to tackle such an important issue.”
The IGD award judges praised the “outstanding delivery, strong drive for results and fantastic vision” led by Gibbon-Walsh.
FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell added: “We are chuffed to bits that FareShare’s work to tackle food waste was recognised by the IGD Awards and we’re so proud that Kris Gibbon-Walsh, who leads that programme for FareShare, was also recognised with the Leading Light Award. We hope this will raise the profile of charity redistribution, and encourage more retailers and manufacturers to use their surplus to feed people in need.”
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