Lean Production & CSR | Operating Leaner Cuts Supermarket Donations to Food Banks

Supermarkets are doing all they can to operate lean, minimise costs and keep prices low to remain competitive. However, one downside looks like lower donations to food banks.

As this article from the BBC explains, its hardly the fault of the big supermarket groups.

Waste = cost. And, costs need to be minimised in order to be competitive.

So supermarkets are making changes to areas such as "best before" labelling and other changes to the supply chain to minimise food waste.

Food banks are impacted, though.

According to the article, food waste charity Fareshare has seen a drop of around 200 tonnes in supermarket surplus donations every month during the summer of 2022.

What can be done about it?

Can supermarkets continue to supply food banks in other ways?

What about food suppliers - can they supply the food banks directly?

And how about more of us popping a few items into the food bank collection areas as we exit the checkout?