Fresh produce suppliers, through IPL, are making a major contribution to FareShare
Asda has announced that it will donate the equivalent of one million meals during the start of 2025, as part of a new “Winter Fruit and Veg Pledge” with FareShare and the Coronation Food Project.
Running from January to March, the initiative will see over 420 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables donated to the food redistribution charity.
A range of fruit and vegetables will be donated as part of the project, including carrots, parsnips, cabbage, sprouts, pears, grapes, citrus and potatoes.
The donations will be provided via Asda’s direct supplier IPL, and continues the support provided by IPL and Asda as part of the Coronation Food Project in 2023. IPL and Asda were an original partner to pledge support to the project and provided 1.2m Christmas dinners during the first initiative.
The fruit and veg is surplus product from Asda suppliers including Poskitt Carrots, Strawson’s, Frank Clarke & Son, Benzies, Bedfordshire Growers, and Lincolnshire Field Products.
Jane Berry, IPL group managing director, said: “Food poverty is a significant problem in the UK, and with charities in urgent need of donations during the colder months, we hope our donation of one million meals can make a big difference to those most in need in our communities.
”We are immensely proud of our strong relationship with FareShare, which spans over 13 years. In that time, we’ve developed how we make waste efficiencies while better supporting the charities and communities that our redistributed food reaches. With winter a particularly tough time for many, we’re delighted to continue our support of FareShare through this initiative and help the vulnerable members of the community in which we operate.”
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, CEO at FareShare, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to our longstanding partner Asda for donating the equivalent of over one million meals this winter. These nutritious fruit and vegetables will be transformed into meals by 8,000 charities we support, helping people in need, changing lives and strengthening communities during the cold winter months. This donation will make a huge difference, thank you.”
