Morrisons has announced a new initiative to divert below-spec carrots to tackle food waste and hunger as part of the King’s Coronation Food Project.
The move will see tonnes of below-specification surplus carrots and onions that are still safe to eat from its Flaxby packing plant in North Yorkshire redistributed in partnership with the charity FareShare.
The supermarket has carried out a trial with strategic partner Newton and estimates that the national rollout of the surplus redistribution will see up to 26 pallets of food collected for national redistribution every week.
It is the latest tie-up between Morrisons and FareShare, which, since they began working together, has seen more than 13 million meals redistributed to charities across the UK.
In November 2023, a raft of supermarkets and suppliers pledged to produce tens of millions of extra meals to fight hunger, in a response to plans driven by the King which has resulted in a series of efforts to ramp up systems for food surplus to be redistributed for human consumption.
George Wright, special advisor at FareShare, said: “The support of the food industry via the IGD is critical to the Coronation Food Project, and the work of Morrisons and Newton is a great example of the progress we are making.
“Working closely with both of their teams, we’ve identified how we can redirect perfectly good, nutritious produce that otherwise might have been wasted to our frontline charities who provide vital wraparound services, including homelessness shelters, after school and breakfast clubs, and older people’s lunch clubs.”
Morrisons CEO Rami Baitiéh said: “As a fresh food manufacturer working closely with farmers and growers we know how much hard work goes into producing the food we sell.
“Through this partnership, we’re now sending our below specification carrots to FareShare centres, where they are sorted for those in need.
“This important initiative complements our ongoing work with other excellent charities, who help redistribute surplus food from our manufacturing sites.”
Steve Wilson, senior partner of consumer at Newton, added: “The UK food supply chain is a complex ecosystem, spanning from farmers to stores and consumers, with rigorous standards and tight timings. By identifying opportunities to recover good food before it’s too late, we ensure it reaches those who need it most.
“Our partnership with Morrisons and FareShare has significantly accelerated the fight against food waste, bringing us closer to our ambitious goal of distributing 70 million meals annually.”
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