The Food Stash Foundation, a charitable organization that redistributes food that would otherwise become waste in Canada, has opened a market to help give more food to people who need it each year. The market, which opened on October 1, operates on a “pay what you feel” basis, with donations being accepted from customers.
According to the Food Stash Foundation, over 58% of Canada’s overall food is not used and becomes waste. Even countries that don’t have access to refrigeration have a similar amount of food waste. Carla Pellegrini, the Food Stash Foundation’s executive director stated, “I was really, really surprised by how much food waste there is, how much food insecurity there is in Vancouver.”
The Food Stash Foundation collects over 70,000 pounds of food each month from farms, grocery chains and restaurants. And Pellegrini explained, “It’s really all about getting people easy access to rescued food.” The food would otherwise be thrown away, so making it easier to pair unwanted food with people in need is the best way for nothing to go to waste. The store is marketed towards both people in need of food and those who are looking for a more sustainable way to shop for groceries.