Nestlé launches global food bank alliance to tackle hunger, food waste
Nearly a fifth of all food produced each year is squandered or lost before it can be consumed, a staggering loss in the face of rising food insecurity.
GLOBAL – Nestlé, in partnership with the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), Feeding America® (FA), and the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), has launched the Nestlé Food Bank Alliance, designed to expand access to food and reduce food waste around the world.
The work of this alliance will include sharing best practices to support local food banking efforts on the ground, collaborating on initiatives to reduce food waste, and enhancing employee giving opportunities.
By deepening relationships and fostering collaboration between Nestlé and food banks across geographies, the alliance aims to improve the quality, consistency, and reach of food assistance where it’s needed most.
The food waste and food insecurity burden
The scale of need underscores the urgency of this initiative. In 2023, according to the Global Report on Food Crises, nearly 282 million people (21.5% of the analysed population in 59 countries and territories) faced high levels of acute food insecurity requiring urgent food and livelihood assistance.
This represented a 24 million-person increase from 2022, driven by both expanded analysis coverage and worsening conditions in some regions, which outweighed progress elsewhere.
With operations in over 80 countries, these networks, in collaboration with Nestlé, will reach more than 100 million people globally with critical food assistance.
Yet, the World Food Programme points out, global hunger isn’t about a lack of food.
The world currently produces enough to nourish every child, woman, and man on the planet. The challenge lies in distribution and access. Nearly a fifth of all food produced each year is squandered or lost before it can be consumed, a staggering loss in the face of rising food insecurity.
“Food insecurity and food waste are two of the most urgent and interconnected challenges we face,” said Nina Kruchten, Head of Community Giving at Nestlé. “It’s a paradox that while over two billion people struggle to access adequate nutrition, we continue to witness food wastage at scale.”
She explained that this global alliance will strengthen the vital link between surplus and need, turning excess into access, so that nutritious food reaches those who need it most.
Food bank collaborative initiatives
The launch of the Nestlé Food Banking Alliance builds on decades of local collaboration and partnership. For example, in the US, Nestlé has partnered with Feeding America for nearly 40 years to help increase access to food with product donations, employee volunteering and corporate grants.
In the UK, Nestlé joined forces with Arla Foods in 2024 as part of the Coronation Food Project, donating the equivalent of 1.25 million breakfasts to food charity FareShare, a member of both FEBA and GFN.
This landmark initiative reflects Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to community giving, with a particular focus on food access.
In 2024, the company contributed CHF 152 million (approximately US$185.9 million) to charitable causes, including CHF 110 million (US$134.5 million) in product donations, which supported both long-term partnerships with food banks and short-term disaster relief efforts worldwide.
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