The Walmart Foundation today announced that it is making $1.5 million USD ($1.89 million CAD) available to fund proposals from eligible non-profit organizations working to reduce food waste in Canada. The Walmart Foundation is seeking proposals from qualified organizations that have experience in formulating, proposing, and implementing food waste reduction efforts. Requests between $300,000 and $1,000,000 (USD) will be considered.
This announcement is part of the Walmart Foundation’s commitment to award $15M USD ($19M CAD) to organizations that help reduce food waste and strengthen food banks in Canada. Previous grants awarded include a total of $6.3 USD granted to organizations leading and innovating in food waste reduction and charitable food recovery.
“The work being accomplished by the outstanding recipients of the Walmart Foundation grants to date is inspiring, and we remain committed to being part of the solution on the important issue of food waste in Canada,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer, Walmart Inc., and president of the Walmart Foundation. “Today’s announcement will build upon our efforts to help accelerate momentum to reduce and prevent food waste and alleviate hunger in Canada by investing in infrastructure to move excess perishable food from facilities and farms to the charitable meal system, funding innovative initiatives and advancing successful, existing programs.”
The announcement also builds on the retailer’s commitment to reduce waste in its own operations and achieve zero waste in key markets, including Canada, by 2025. Food waste is an urgent global issue, with substantial repercussions in terms of both food security and the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Programme reports that roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — gets lost or wasted. In Canada, the cost of food waste was identified as $31 billion in 2014, according to a report from Value Chain Management International, up 15 per cent from 2010.
About the Grants
This funding seeks to support promising programs that have the potential to significantly reduce food waste and loss – with the ultimate goals of preventing loss, maximizing donations of usable food, and minimizing food waste that ends up in landfills. Applications will be considered in three areas:
- Prevention: Stopping waste from occurring in the first place
- Advance the adoption of measurement tools and/or develop innovative prevention solutions
- Recovery: Redistributing food to people
- Test innovative approaches or scale proven models that advance the food recovery and distribution of perishable food
- Recycling: Repurposing waste as energy, agriculture and other products
- Accelerate innovations and programs that improve organic recycling
Walmart’s Food Waste Efforts
Walmart is working to achieve zero waste, using the Zero Waste International Alliance definition, across its operations in key markets – including Canada – by 2025. Walmart Canada’s commitment to reducing food waste includes selling food that is nearing its best before date at a discounted price as part of a Customer Value Program. The retailer has also donated more than 14.5 million pounds of food to food banks across the country through a comprehensive food diversion program which pairs Walmart Canada stores with a local food bank to help get food to those who need it most, aligning with Walmart’s commitment to provide 4 billion meals globally. Today, 244 of Walmart Canada’s stores send organic waste for composting or anaerobic digestion so it doesn’t end up in municipal landfill. Walmart also continues to work with suppliers to improve packaging and food handling processes to maintain quality and freshness.
More Information and How to Apply
Food Waste Solution Search (English)
Food Waste Solution Search (French)
For more information and to begin the application process, follow the instructions in the information document. Deadline: October 19, 2018 by 11:59 p.m. PDT/PST.
