Britain’s food industry is pooling its reach, logistics and surplus stock in an attempt to ease hunger at scale, as a new coalition backed by 50 businesses seeks to channel more edible food to charities and cut the cost of getting it there.

The initiative, called Alliance Food Sourcing and created under the Coronation Food Project, is aimed at two persistent problems faced by redistribution groups: not enough food to meet demand and the high expense of moving it. According to IGD, the coalition is concentrating on food that is already in the supply chain but would otherwise be discarded, including products affected by packaging faults, production changeovers or other operational issues.

Much of the food being recovered is not in a form that charities can immediately use, so members are reworking processes to make it distributable. That includes repackaging bulk goods, combining ingredients into meals and rescuing items such as vegetables, protein and staples. IGD said the effort has already generated more than 10 million meals and could rise to 30 million a year by 2028.

Examples from across the industry show how granular the changes can be. Barfoot’s is recovering sweet potato and squash by-products from its dicing lines, while Morrisons and Myton Food Group have altered grading processes so that 150 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables can now be diverted annually. Other examples include 2 Sisters Food Group securing two million portions of chicken each year, and partnerships between Tesco and Samworth Brothers, and between Sainsbury’s and Greencore, to produce additional ready meals from spare factory capacity.

The coalition is also trying to reduce a less visible but costly obstacle: transport. Sainsbury’s, GXO and Baringa are working together, with support from Tesco’s distribution team, on a system designed to make use of spare lorry capacity and lower the expense of moving surplus food to frontline charities. The idea, described in the industry as "speed dating for trucks", is intended to strengthen the long-term logistics capabilities of the charity sector.

Consumers are being pulled into the effort too. Throughout April, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose are sharing a single fundraising drive, Let’s make a meal of it, encouraging donations online and at the till. Every £1 raised will fund five meals, with proceeds going to The Felix Project and FareShare, which supports more than 8,000 charities and community groups across the UK.

Entries for the UK Quality Food & Drink Awards 2026 are still open. Don’t miss your chance to be recognised among the UK’s finest – submit your entries today. For more information on categories, entry criteria, and deadlines, please visit UK Quality Food & Drink Awards 2026 - 2026 Enter Awards