Metcash joins Foodbank donor list
Metcash Ltd, Australia’s leading independent grocery and liquor wholesaler, distributor and marketer, has signed as a national donor to Foodbank.
Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia, last year collecting, warehousing and distributing 19 million kilograms of food to 2,200 welfare agencies across the country – representing 25 million meals.
Foodbank has seen a 20 per cent rise in the number of welfare agencies seeking assistance in NSW over the last 12 months as the effects of Global Financial Crisis continue to be felt.
A recent report on the impact of financial stress in NSW released by the Wesley Mission noted that 7 per cent of people are now going without meals to make ends meet.
This scenario is replicated across the country and, despite the generosity of the food industry, donations are falling well short of meeting demand.
Metcash donated about 250,000 kg of food to Foodbank last year, primarily in Queensland.
By signing up as a national donor in all states, Metcash will be able to adopt a more strategic approach to developing and broadening its relationship with Foodbank. The new formal partnership will create the opportunity for Foodbank to be fully integrated into Metcash’s waste management and corporate social responsibility programs.
Andrew Reitzer, CEO of Metcash said: “We are happy to now be signed up as a national donor to Foodbank after many years of food contributions via Metcash in most state capitals. We hope to support and build both our rural and metropolitan contributions further as we continue to grow together into the future.”
Enzo Allara, Chairman of Foodbank, said: “This signing means we now have commitments from all the major wholesalers and retailers in Australia to provide us with their non-saleable food. We look forward to working with Metcash to identify and redirect every possible kilo of food to help us reach our targets. And we thank them for their generous support.”
