BRAMPTON, ON, Dec. 2, 2022
/CNW/ - Today, Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L) ("Loblaw")
advanced its purpose-led commitment to help Canadians live life
well, with a new pledge to provide 1 billion pounds of food to
those in need by 2028. It is generally understood that one pound of
food equates to one meal1, which illustrates the impact
of the commitment and the level of community need.
"Our Feed More Families pledge builds from our work to
advance social equity and fight climate change — inspired
specifically by our progress on community-level food donations and
eliminating food waste," said Galen
Weston, President and Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited.
"The commitment to 1 billion pounds will require contributions from
across our store network, and will help strengthen the capabilities
of food charities at a local level."
The Feed More Families pledge will help tackle multiple
societal concerns: food insecurity is up 35% since
20192, with 6.7 million Canadians now using non-profit
food services annually3; and, food loss and waste
represents nearly 60% of the food industry's environmental
footprint.4
Loblaw provides more than $40
million in annual fundraising and financial support for food
charities and reclamation agencies like Food Banks Canada, Second
Harvest and Les Banques alimentaires du Québec. President's Choice
Children's Charity has become the nation's leading non-government
provider of in-school hunger and nutrition programs, with a goal of
feeding one million children annually.
Feed More Families activities will include regular
awareness and fundraising campaigns for food banks and food
recovery agencies, and a concerted effort to pair all stores in the
Loblaw network that sell food with a local food charity that can
put good food to use, before it becomes waste.
To kick off the Feed More Families pledge, Loblaw
provided five grants totaling $200,000 to food banks across Canada to increase their capacity to reclaim
food. On #GivingTuesday, the company provided its food charity
partners the opportunity to 'take over' its PC Optimum platform
with a fundraising appeal – an effort that saw Canadians donate
over $25,000 and over 37 million PC
Optimum™ points to Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest, to go
alongside a $350,000 donation from
Loblaw ($175,000 to each partner).
And the company's grocery stores are currently in the midst of
their annual nationwide food drive in support of local food banks,
running until December 24.
Progress against the Feed More Families pledge will be
included in the company's annual ESG Report, available at
Loblaw.ca, beginning in 2023.
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1
https://www.secondharvest.ca/getmedia/80afdb3c-dd46-4217-aee6-d7b5fb1ff3a0/SH-Meal-Calculator-Summary-of-Development.pdf
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2
https://hungercount.foodbankscanada.ca/
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3
https://www.secondharvest.ca/resources/research
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4
https://www.secondharvest.ca/getmedia/73121ee2-5693-40ec-b6cc-dba6ac9c6756/The-Avoidable-Crisis-of-Food-Waste-Roadmap.pdf
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About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, as well as
its largest retailer and private sector employer. With
approximately two billion transactions each year in its unmatched
network of nearly 2,500 stores and national e-commerce options,
Loblaw brings food, pharmacy, beauty, apparel and financial
services to customers through many of Canada's favourite and most-trusted brands:
President's Choice, No Name, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, No
Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, T&T, Joe Fresh, PC Express
and PC Financial. The company's loyalty program, PC Optimum, has
more than 18 million members and is one of Canada's largest, and most loved reward
programs.
Loblaw's purpose is to help Canadians live life well. It makes
good food affordable, health, beauty and wellness accessible,
saving for the future possible, and essential style
achievable.
For more information, visit the Responsibility at Loblaw section
of Loblaw.ca.
SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited