The project, inspired by His Majesty The King, was launched on The King’s 75th birthday in November 2023.
In the UK more than 10 million tonnes of food per year is wasted, while almost one in seven households live with food insecurity, the Coronation Food Project aims to address this issue by tackling food waste.
In just two years since its launch, the project has raised £20 million, with Coronation Food Hubs opened in Liverpool, Birmingham and South London, in partnership with FareShare and The Felix Project, with two more set to open next year.
It has delivered 4,932 tonnes more food to communities in need, which equates to 1,541 tonnes of surplus food that has been rescued; 1,255 more tonnes of food that has been manufactured utilising surplus capacity, plus 2,136 additional tonnes of food donated by food manufacturers and retailers. This is the equivalent of more than 11 million meals.
Senior leaders from the UK food industry initially came together in November 2023 at the launch of the Coronation Food Project. They signed a pledge to pursue the reduction of all forms of waste in the food supply chain and increase redistribution of surplus food to those most in need.
Dame Martina Milburn, chair of the Coronation Food Project said: “The progress we’ve made in two years is just fantastic and it’s a real testament to the leadership shown by the UK food industry. Thousands more tonnes of food are being saved and getting on to the plates of people who might otherwise go hungry. None of this would have happened without the inspiration and support of The King and Queen so it’s fitting that the initiative is named in honour of their Coronation.”
Charlotte Hill OBE, chief executive of The Felix Project added: “Thousands of community organisations rely on the food that is saved and circulated by FareShare and The Felix Project. So, it’s vital that we find new ways of getting more surplus food into the system. The Coronation Food Project is doing just that, at a scale and pace which is quite extraordinary.”
Inspired by The Coronation Food Project and convened by the IGD, FareShare and The Felix Project, Alliance Food Sourcing is investing and innovating to rescue nutritious, edible food waste from the supply chain and get it to the charities that need it. Fifty UK food retailers and manufacturers are already involved in this initiative.
The King Charles III Charitable Fund, has already awarded £907,990 to 33 good causes addressing food waste and food insecurity across the UK, helping to scale up their delivery and extend the benefits of their projects.
