May 20, 2022 "KFC’s Harvest Program Addresses Food Insecurity and Waste": My family had KFC tonight and I saw this KFC Harvest so I read this article and posted the link on Facebook:
Canada is a prosperous, affluent country with a progressive social welfare system
— so many people are shocked to learn that
one in eight Canadians live in food-insecure households.
About 850,000 Canadians turn to food donation centres each month,
a third of them children.
Food insecurity is a real issue in Canada,
as is food waste — 60% of food produced is wasted.
Addressing food waste proactively
John Pacitti is the Director of Development — Global at Food Donation Connection, one of the many organizations working to address these issues.
“We work with restaurants and food service companies to help coordinate their donations of surplus food,”
says.
“There’s a balance between restaurants making sure they’re
not overproducing
and serving good-quality, hot, fresh food to their customers.
Now restaurants have developed a way to
safely redirect any surplus food to local charities
that are feeding people in need.”
Rochelle Berenyi is the Executive Director at Carmichael Outreach,
a non-profit in Regina, SK,
that provides services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness,
from a housing support program
and a free donation-based thrift shop
to a meal program that prepares free lunches for the community.
“One of our main pillars is our food recovery program,”
says Berenyi.
“We call it the food recovery program because we work with partners in the community, like KFC,
recovering food that may otherwise have gone to waste
that we can use to prepare meals to provide to the community.”
Feeding those in need has always been at the very core of KFC’s mission.
Nivera Wallani, President & General Manager of KFC Canada
Better together
Both organizations have partnered with KFC and its Harvest program,
through which KFC’s restaurants donate their surplus chicken to local charities across Canada.
The initiative helps address the needs of
food-insecure people
while also keeping good food out of the landfill.
“It’s a win-win for the
restaurants,
community,
and environment,”
says Pacitti.
KFC’s Harvest Program provides the essential protein required for balanced meals.
Since 2016, KFC has
donated over 201,000 pounds of chicken
to 244 Canadian charities.
Seeing that food insecurity was a growing problem at the onset of COVID-19, it further expanded its donations to include additional items like
fresh produce,
chicken tenders,
popcorn chicken,
and Big Crunch filets.
In 2020 alone,
51,640 pounds of food have been donated
to 184 unique charity locations,
with 37,665 pounds having been donated since the onset of COVID-19.
During the pandemic, KFC also ran
a 1 Bucket = 1 Meal campaign to drive donations
to Food Banks of Canada
as part of its social purpose program.
“Feeding those in need has always been at the very core of KFC’s mission,”
says Nivera Wallani, President and General Manager of KFC Canada.
“I’m so proud of our Harvest Program
and our franchisees and team members for committing to it.
We’re making a difference at the local level all across Canada.”
Food insecurity and food waste are critical concerns that must be addressed,
and fortunately many organizations are working hard to eradicate them.
In partnership with charities from coast to coast, KFC’s Harvest Program is leading the way.
KFC's Harvest Program Addresses Food Insecurity and Waste - Innovating Canada
May 18, 2026:
Starbucks Canada and Second Harvest Partner to Fight Food Insecurity Nationwide
Starbucks Canada has announced over $500,000 in grants for hunger relief charities and non-profits across the country
Starbucks Canada announced today the launch of the Starbucks Capacity Grants,
a new community-focused initiative in partnership with Second Harvest,
the largest food rescue organization in Canada.
More than $500,000 in grants
have been distributed to 87 local charities
and food rescue agencies across the country to directly help support the expansion of the Starbucks FoodShare program,
making it one of the most expansive corporate food rescue programs in Canada.
Investing in Food Security and Waste Reduction
The new Starbucks Capacity Grants will help provide critical funding to Second Harvest partner agencies that are tied
directly to company-operated coffeehouses supporting the Starbucks FoodShare program.
Recognizing the role that local community agencies play in alleviating food insecurity,
these grants will help
enhance infrastructure,
strengthen services
and expand their ability to rescue
and distribute more food.
Since its launch in 2019, the Starbucks FoodShare program has
rescued 5.8 million meals,
diverted 21.7 million kilograms of greenhouse gases,
and donated food with an estimated value of $25.3m.
By diverting unsold, ready-to-eat meals to local communities,
the program
helps reduce food waste
and its environmental impact
while providing food to Canadians facing food insecurity.
“At Starbucks Canada, we are deeply committed to supporting the communities we serve,” said Lori Digulla, senior vice president and general manager, Starbucks Canada.
“Through the Starbucks Capacity Grants, we’re proud to strengthen our partnership with Second Harvest and expand the reach of our FoodShare program with coffeehouses across the country.
Together, we are making a meaningful impact by
reducing food waste
and helping to ensure more Canadians have access to nourishing meals.”
Helping More Canadians Access Nutritious Food
With food insecurity on the rise – particularly among children, where one in three lives in a food-insecure household in Canada – initiatives like the Starbucks FoodShare program are more essential than ever.
Through this program, Starbucks partners with Second Harvest to connect company-operated coffeehouse with a local community service provider.
Working alongside
local food rescue agencies,
the program helps combat food insecurity
by donating surplus food daily,
supporting communities.
“Starbucks Canada is making a powerful difference by
providing critical support to the non-profit organizations
that work tirelessly to feed people
and strengthen communities.
Their leadership in launching the Starbucks Capacity Grants program is a shining example of how
corporate partners can help move the needle on hunger in meaningful ways,”
Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest said.
“With these grants, Starbucks is investing in the financial resilience of local agencies
that are essential to the health and wellbeing of people
and communities
across Canada.
We’re deeply grateful for their commitment
and inspired by the impact we can achieve together.”
The Starbucks Capacity Grants are already making a meaningful impact at the local level.
By investing over CAD $500,000 in non-profits and charities across the country,
Starbucks is helping to strengthen community organizations and build more resilient neighbourhoods.
This support also advances the company’s commitment to
rescue unsold, ready-to-eat food from its company-operated coffeehouses
– ensuring good food reaches those who need it most.
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