Leftover Food To Aid Homeless

The Council for the Homeless is targeting a new food-sharing scheme called 'Food for Thought' which aims to divert edible food destined for landfill and redistribute it among those in need, writes Carla Liébana.

The innovative plan proposes recycling leftover food from supermarkets to help the homeless.

With the support of the three Belfast's civic dignitaries - the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and High Sheriff - the establishment of a local version, Fare Share NI is now targeting the food industry to join in to meet social need and to provide a real environmental benefit.

This innovation would work with local food producers and retailers to meet social need and provide a real environmental benefit.

Lord Mayor Councillor Naomi Long (pictured with chef Stephen Jeffers) pledged her support to the initiative, and said: "The sad reality is that people in Belfast and beyond are going hungry while edible food is going to waste."

At the launch of the project, the celebrity chef Stephen Jeffers served a delicious lunch to show his support to the cause: chicken in a mushroom and white wine sauce.

He said: "It is important that we highlight the plight of homeless people at Christmas time when so many of us take a full tummy and a warm home for granted.

"The concept of putting this otherwise unwanted food to good use, feeding those who need it most, is fantastic. I wish this venture every success."

Alison Upton from the Council for Homeless in Northern Ireland explained this system had been a success in Great Britain so appealed to the food industry to support this local version.

She stated: "This is proof of how the redistribution of food can be achieved efficiently and effectively when the food industry works with the voluntary sector and is in turn supported by government at local and regional level.

"Now we are calling on the food industry to agree to work within a FareShare NI framework to supply food for redistribution and work with us to ensure that the same high standard in codes of practice employed by NI Food industry can be translated to the regional food sharing project," she said.

(CL/BMcC)