We've donated 5m meals to FareShare through our back-of-store donation scheme

As part of our Fight Hunger Create Change programme we donate good quality in-date produce to food charity FareShare – donating the equivalent of five million meals in the last three years and three million meals in 2020 alone.

Our initiative means charities and community groups can receive up to five collections a week of surplus food from all our stores and depots, including bread, bakery items, fruit, vegetables and eggs which we can no longer sell because of shorter sell-by dates.

Karen Todd, Senior Manager for Asda’s Zero Waste, said: “We are extremely proud to have helped so many people through the back of store donation scheme and I am thankful to every store and depot whose hard work has made a big difference.

“The amount of food donated to charity through our back of store donation programme has increased by 58% over the past year and has helped us as a company donate over 18m meals since the start of the partnership.”

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: "We're incredibly grateful to Asda for their continued efforts in redistributing surplus food that has become available in their stores – especially during what has been such a tough time for so many. The coronavirus pandemic has put a massive strain on a lot of charities and community organisations, because they are facing increased demand as more people struggle to make ends meet.

"Being able to source good to eat, free surplus food from retailers through FareShare Go provides thousands of vulnerable people with much needed food that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to."

We have also donated £23 million across two years to FareShare and the Trussell Trust, a leading food bank network, to help create long-term positive change to poverty in the UK.

The donation has already helped expand FareShare's food distribution network and allowed the charity to accept donations of fresh produce so they can help more people in need. It has also enabled the Trussell Trust to fund additional services, such as debt and benefit advisors, for recipients of its emergency food parcels.

The scheme is part of our Fight Hunger Create Change programme and has been rolled out to all of our stores and depots able to donate surplus food.