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Food in community
Published on 27 May 2019
Jean-Paul PELLISSIER
Deputy manager
About this good practice
Food in Community (FiC) is a social enterprise. The initial problems identified were how to reduce food waste and at the same time tackle food poverty and reduce social isolation in a local community. Food in Community adresses food waste and food poverty via three well established protocols:
• Charity veg box delivery scheme distributing surplus, unwanted fresh vegetables and fruit
• Gleaning post-harvest, and gluts of unwanted crops directly from the farmers field
• A monthly ‘Pay What You Feel’ lunch café, freshly prepared menu from surplus, and short dated produce
• An artisan stock making enterprise in development, using surplus vegetables, including material such as outer leaves that are usually discarded.
Suppliers are: Riverford Organic, South Devon Organic Producers, Tideford Organic, The Almond Thief, Seeds Bakery, Homeless in Teignbridge, Sky Sprouts, Luscombes Organic, Morrisons Totnes.
Volunteers are 20 regular and a further 30 more occasional.
Recipients are: Vulnerable adult groups (5), Children’s charities (3), Food banks (4), Schools and special schools (6), Food distribution volunteers (5), Fund raising events annually (2), Supporting Vulnerable Families (8), the general public through events such as Monthly Pay What You Feel Cafes, workshops and stalls at public events.
FiC is well networked with other organisations across the South Hams and is building networks across the food waste sector. Some of the suppliers have partnership at regional level.
• Charity veg box delivery scheme distributing surplus, unwanted fresh vegetables and fruit
• Gleaning post-harvest, and gluts of unwanted crops directly from the farmers field
• A monthly ‘Pay What You Feel’ lunch café, freshly prepared menu from surplus, and short dated produce
• An artisan stock making enterprise in development, using surplus vegetables, including material such as outer leaves that are usually discarded.
Suppliers are: Riverford Organic, South Devon Organic Producers, Tideford Organic, The Almond Thief, Seeds Bakery, Homeless in Teignbridge, Sky Sprouts, Luscombes Organic, Morrisons Totnes.
Volunteers are 20 regular and a further 30 more occasional.
Recipients are: Vulnerable adult groups (5), Children’s charities (3), Food banks (4), Schools and special schools (6), Food distribution volunteers (5), Fund raising events annually (2), Supporting Vulnerable Families (8), the general public through events such as Monthly Pay What You Feel Cafes, workshops and stalls at public events.
FiC is well networked with other organisations across the South Hams and is building networks across the food waste sector. Some of the suppliers have partnership at regional level.
Resources needed
Volunteering, leadership, engagement, community support
Evidence of success
At a glance:
- 50 tonnes of fresh vegs and fruit/year are rescued and repurposed for human consumption that would otherwise have been discarded. School meal provision in local primary schools has improved in quality.
- In 2017 Food in Community has doubled its veg box scheme capacity and increasing the number of field gleans.
To date, FiC has redistributed 175,000 meals and 12,240 food boxes with the help of 18,750 volunteer hours.
- 50 tonnes of fresh vegs and fruit/year are rescued and repurposed for human consumption that would otherwise have been discarded. School meal provision in local primary schools has improved in quality.
- In 2017 Food in Community has doubled its veg box scheme capacity and increasing the number of field gleans.
To date, FiC has redistributed 175,000 meals and 12,240 food boxes with the help of 18,750 volunteer hours.
Potential for learning or transfer
Food in Community is an innovative element between local farms and producers and local charities and organisations supporting vulnerable populations. Collecting, sorting and then redistributing surplus that would otherwise be composted or thrown away, this not-for-profit community interest company appears as a structuring element to raise the efficiency of the food waste chain. As a consequence, local authorities who intend to be active in food waste reduction should be interested in supporting the implementation of such initiative on their territories.
A film presents their activities during the covid period: https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/inequality-ethical-business/who-feeds-vulnerable
A film presents their activities during the covid period: https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/inequality-ethical-business/who-feeds-vulnerable
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Food in Community CIC
Devon
Contact
Jean-Paul PELLISSIER
Deputy manager