Join the fight against food poverty
We’ve been supporting local communities on the issues that matter most for over a century – it’s part of what we do. One particularly important issue many people are facing, especially in recent times, is food poverty.
Our partnership with FareShare
FareShare is the UK's biggest charity tackling food waste to support social good. They take good-to-eat surplus food from across the food industry, sort it in their regional warehouses across the UK, and pass it onto a network of over 8,000 charities and community groups. These include school clubs, community centres and pantries, hostels, refuges, older people's lunch clubs, and hospices. Three quarters of the organisations they support provide food to support children and families.
During the last financial year, 2023-24, FareShare redistributed the equivalent of over 134 million meals - four meals every second. The 56,000 tonnes of food they redistributed stopped 100,000 tonnes of COe2 going to waste.
This is why our NFU Mutual Charitable Trust – which exists to promote and support charities working in agriculture, rural development and insurance – is proud to support FareShare’s fight against food poverty. Since 2021, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has donated a total of £350,000 to the charity.
FareShare will be using their donation of £50,000 from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust in 2024 to support their work to ensure good-to-eat, surplus food goes to people, not to waste.
Polly Bianchi, Chief Income & Engagement Officer at FareShare, says: “FareShare is delighted to have the support of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust again in 2024/25. Millions of tonnes of edible food are wasted at UK farms every year, while one in six people, including 3 million children, struggle to afford enough food. For many, food is about more than nourishment - it’s about building connections and community. The charities we support turn surplus food into meals, and use food as a gateway to other vital support services to help people thrive, not just survive. The Trust's funding of £50,000 will directly cover the cost of rescuing 250,000 meals worth of edible food from farms across the UK and transporting it to communities that need it most, including our 406 Member Charities in rural constituencies. Thank you for your generous support!”
How farms are donating their surplus for good
Farms and rural businesses throughout the UK are also doing their bit to help. They can participate through FareShare’s Surplus with Purpose scheme, which helps businesses to cover the extra costs of redistributing their unsold food to people who need it most.
The Surplus with Purpose scheme avoids thousands of tonnes of surplus fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products being wasted. Even cupboard items and chilled and frozen foods find a new home as part of the scheme.
One grower making the most of the opportunity presented by the scheme is Southern England Farms, based in Hayle, West Cornwall. The business works over 6,500 acres and is a key supplier to several major retailers in the UK, including a number of supermarkets, of Cornish-grown courgettes, cauliflower, broccoli, spring greens, sweetheart and savoy cabbage.
Co-owner Jane Richards (pictured), along with her 400 plus pickers, works with FareShare to ensure any excess vegetables never go to waste.
Jane says: “No farmer ever wants to see their produce go to waste. But sometimes circumstances mean there is a surplus that will often go into the waste trailer or simply become compost.”
Jane adds: “The scheme with FareShare is a brilliant way of ensuring excess produce is redistributed to those who really need it. It is so very rewarding when we find out how many meals our surplus veg has gone on to make. It is great that NFU Mutual has embraced the scheme so wholeheartedly and supports their customers who wish to participate with ‘Surplus with Purpose’ too.”
Join over 500 other food businesses fight food poverty
Diverting your surplus food to frontline charities is easier than you think. Your business could be eligible for funding to help you reduce your food waste. FareShare’s ‘surplus with purpose’ fund contributes to the cost of harvest or transporting surplus food. What’s more, FareShare can help your business identify surplus food that could be redirected to charities.
To find out more about FareShare’s Surplus with Purpose scheme, and how you can participate, visit: fareshare.org.