FoodCloud connecting businesses to charities in local communities

FoodCloud was set up with the aim of reducing food waste and bringing communities together through food, their vision is for an Ireland where no good food goes to waste.

FoodCloud state that ‘…at least one million tonnes of food in Ireland and almost 1.3 billion tonnes worldwide are wasted per year’. Last year Tesco Ireland and Foodcloud formed a ground-breaking partnership,  which works to ensure the surplus food from a number of Tesco’s  stores be redistributed to charities and community groups through the use of FoodCloud’s innovative App.

Since October 2013 Foodcloud have redistributed over ­27 tonnes of food to their network of 45 charity partners from Drogheda to Bray and are now expanding across the country in partnership with Tesco.

Respond became one of the Partner Charities in July 2014 and now FoodCloud helps to supply food to both of Respond’s women and children refuges.  Suamhneas, located in Limerick, and the Respond funded refuge Cuan Alainn located in Tallaght, Dublin.  Repond!’s link with FoodCloud has contributed to lessening the pressure of the weekly food cost budget.

Cuan Alainn Centre Manager Elaine stated “It is a fantastic service which is greatly used and appreciated by the nine families who currently reside at the refuge”.

FoodCloud update – March 2015:

FoodCloud has now redistributed over 335 tonnes of food to charities around the country, which is equivalent to about 738,000 meals. There are over 300 charities registered on the FoodCloud system with over 100 Tesco stores donating food in 22 counties.

Respond/FoodCloud:
50 families from the southern region avail of the FoodCloud initiative in Tramore, Co. Waterford and the surrounding areas. The Respond Community Development Building located in Beechmount, Tramore, is being utilised as a distribution centre every Wednesday evening for people from the locality. The food donated by Tesco’s range from 19kg to 45kg and consist of fresh fruit, bread, vegetables, meat and poultry.

Posted: September 2014, updated March 2015.