This year, Colruyt Group has surpassed the milestone of 10,000 tonnes of high-quality food donations to local social organisations. This confirms the group's commitment as the strongest and most structural partner in Belgium for the Belgische Federatie van Voedselbanken (= Belgian Federation of Food Banks), Foodsavers and la Croix Rouge (= the Red Cross). Thanks to its efficient and professional approach, Colruyt Group is able to turn potential food waste into high‑quality donations for the most vulnerable groups in society. Thanks to Colruyt Group Foundation, many organizations can count on structural support and access to healthy food.
The Belgian Federation of Food Banks, Foodsavers and la Croix Rouge (Red Cross) act as the umbrella organisation for hundreds of local organisations committed to distribute healthy, safe and wholesome food to people facing hardship. They work directly with Colruyt Group stores (Colruyt Lowest Prices, Okay, Bio-Planet), as well as the group's various distribution and collection centres. In this way, potential food waste is transformed into a positive story, rooted in sustainable local engagement. “We sell more than 97% of fresh products in our stores. Unfortunately, it is unrealistic to reduce the number of unsold products to zero. That's why Colruyt Groups stores and distribution centres work directly with more than 400 social organisations, ensuring that products reach the people who need them most," says Anne Verdoolaege, responsible at Colruyt for partnerships with the Food Banks.
Efficiency at work against food waste
“Each year, the volume of food donations increases. This year, we have exceeded the 10,000-tonne mark, or almost a thousand tonnes more than last year," Anne adds. This is the result of an efficient, professional approach and a growing store network. In the stores, most unsold fresh products are proactively removed from the shelves three to four days before their expiry date. That guarantees sufficient freshness of the products, AND gives local social organisations the time they need to sort and distribute everything safely. Our distribution centres are also improving their sorting processes, allowing more high-quality products to be set aside. Today, more than 400 stores in Belgium donate food directly to local organisations. The collaboration between Colruyt Group and food-aid organisations has evolved into a well-established and high-performing system in which stores closely monitor their donation flows and refine their sorting processes with strict attention to food safety. Both new employees and the teams of newly opened stores receive dedicated training. We also support associations with the knowledge they need to become fully operational quickly.
Local anchoring as a foundation
The partnership with food-aid organisations is locally embedded: each store is matched one-to-one with a local organisation. Together, they agree on pick-up times, volumes, logistics and food safety procedures.
"Thanks to the structural partnership with Colruyt Group, our affiliated associations have access to fresh and high-quality products. every day. The volume and reliability of this collaboration are essential to keeping our operations running," says Piet Vanthemsche, Chair of the Belgian Federation of Food Banks
Fresh food
Colruyt Group donates all wholesome, edible products that can no longer be sold, such as fruits and vegetables, fresh products with a remaining shelf life of 3 to 4 days, items with minor packaging damage, incorrect deliveries and surplus products from internal quality sampling.
“Donations of unsold produce are an essential link in the food-aid work of the Belgian Red Cross. Our aim is to provide high-quality food aid while respecting people's dignity. Thanks to these unsold products, we can offer free fresh products, such as dairy, fruit and vegetables. Every year, the teams of La Croix Rouge (Red Cross) collect more than 400 tonnes of products from Colruyt Group stores, with a market value of nearly 2.5 million euros," confirms Véronique Walbaum, Manager Service Support Social Action.
Our customers contribute too
In addition to the food donations, Colruyt Group organises an annual fundraising campaign across all its store formats, allowing customers to donate money to support the most vulnerable people in society. Last year alone, this campaign provided the equivalent of 153,000 meals. Additionally, Colruyt Group Foundation provides ongoing structural support to numerous organizations. A great example of how, step by step, we take care of one another.
