Metro Vancouver
Regional Food Recovery Network
Project Update (Year 1)

Metro Vancouver is supporting FoodMesh to build a food recovery network of local businesses, charitable organizations and farmers.

Through FoodMesh’s programs and services, organizations in the network that have surplus food are quickly and efficiently matched to other organizations that can put the food to good use so that it doesn’t end up going to waste, feeding people first, then animals.

Save-On-Foods is one of the retailers in the Metro Vancouver network, ensuring its unsalable food is redistributed

Food Stash Foundation in Vancouver picks up donations from a number of retailers in the network, and ensures it gets onto the plates of people in need

Food that is no longer suitable for people, is shared with farmers in the network to feed their animals

“As someone with a lifelong connection to farming, I see daily the incredible hard work farmers dedicate to putting food on Canadian tables, and believe it’s essential that we all do what we can to ensure those efforts don’t get wasted. We’re pleased to financially contribute to the work of FoodMesh and help connect businesses along the supply chain with organizations that feed people and animals, making it much easier to innovate and implement circular economy solutions to prevent food waste.”

– Jack Froese, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee, and Chair of the National Zero Waste Council

What the Metro Vancouver Regional Food Recovery Network has achieved to date

1 September 2021 – 31 August 2022

Note: This does not include food that is recovered in the region outside of FoodMesh’s programs and services

666

Network members

3,793,672

Food diverted (KG)

6,424,373

Meals created

9,787,673

CO2e reduced (KG)

Our stats explained

Progress made against the project’s goals

“We are proud to have been part of the FoodMesh program for the past year providing perishable food to people in need, directly in the communities we serve. Supporting FoodMesh is something our stores and staff take very seriously, ensuring no food goes to waste.”

– Mark McCurdy, Vice President Retail Operations and Brand Strategy for Fresh St. Market and IGA Stores of BC

The network

Daiya, located in Burnaby, uses FoodMesh's Marketplace to share the food it can no longer sell is donated to local Metro Vancouver-based charitable organizations

“FoodMesh has impacted us in many good ways. We are getting more food from stores we did not get food from before. We are able to assist local farmers in feeding their animals from what is not edible from what we pick up. FoodMesh has been a good experience and we really look forward to working with them in the future.”

– Jim Calamunce-Executive Director of the Langley Food Bank

Highlights from the last year

Virtual event: Cooking class using rescued food

To mark Stop Food Waste Day, Metro Vancouver network member Theresa Contois from Cedar Feast House Catering took time out of her busy schedule to show us how to make a delicious beef bourguignon, using food donations she rescued from local retailers, before sharing it with residents of Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

Download the virtual goodie bag

Webinar: How to increase access to food donations

Charitable organizations in Metro Vancouver interested in learning about food recovery and how to get involved were invited to a webinar. It featured presentations by:

Jessica Regan
CEO and Co-Founder, FoodMesh

Mary Robson
Executive Director, Friends in Need Food Bank

Krista Loewen
Community Investment Associate, Vancity

Michelle Reining
Executive Director, Vancouver Food Runners

A spotlight on the Metro Vancouver food recovery network

Metro Vancouver Regional Food Recovery Network Project Update (Year 1)