Creating the greatest impact
Where are the best places for us to focus as an industry to get food to people who need it? At just 17p per meal, recovering surplus food is incredibly cost effective, so it is right that this is the initial focus to help the most people. But where next? And what if your category already has a low or no surplus?
With £326 million worth of potential savings created by reducing waste plus extensive retail corporate social responsibility initiatives to tap into, the impact of this innovative approach would be significant.
What if we were to all come together to produce more food specifically for charities? What if at the same time, all the incredible resources of retailers and manufacturers were brought together – finance from ESG and marketing initiatives, factory lines, fridges, vans, buying power and innovative skills in recovering food?
Our research finds that a low retail cost for a balanced plate meal is £1.12, whereas the low cost to manufacture a balanced plate meal is 50p. If all of that £326 million was reinvested into creating balanced plate meals at the lowest marginal manufacturing price, it would create 657 million meals a year to donate . That’s over twice as many meals provided for vulnerable people than if we spent the same money in a retailer.
17p Average cost per meal to recover surplus food
Low retail cost for a balanced plate meal £1.12
50p Low manufacture cost for a balanced plate meal
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