Albertsons Cos. sets new goal to enable 1.5B meals by 2030

Albertsons Cos. Inc. and The Albertsons Companies Foundation has made two advancements in the company’s mission to help end the cycle of hunger, according to a news release.

As part of the grocer’s Recipe for Change impact framework, Albertsons says it will enable a new goal of 1.5 billion meals by 2030 through a combination of surplus food donations from stores and funds raised by the foundation, after meeting its original goal of enabling more than one billion meals. Additionally, The foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors program will invest $10 million annually to help break the cycle of hunger through various initiatives including its Innovation Spark Fund program; the E.A.T. curriculum for middle and high school students; a coalition created to tackle summer hunger; and other programs aimed at reducing food insecurity.

“At Albertsons, we remain committed to fighting food insecurity in the communities we serve today while working to create lasting solutions to end hunger tomorrow, and forever,” said Jennifer Saenz, executive vice president of pharmacy and e-commerce for Albertsons and board chair for the foundation. “The time for change is now as more than 44 million Americans, including 13.4 million children, face the challenge of food insecurity, and we must come together across communities to solve this hunger crisis.”

In support of the Food Track at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Albertsons teamed up with Kellanova, maker of snacking brands like Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts, No Kid Hungry and Regen House, a collaboration between HowGood, EIT Food, and the Institute of Regeneration, to discuss viable solutions to tackle hunger, the release said.

After unveiling Albertsons’ new meals goal and annual foundation investment, Christy Duncan Anderson, foundation president and executive director, participated in a lively panel discussion with Stephanie Slingerland, chief philanthropy officer for Kellanova and Anne Filipic, CEO for No Kid Hungry. During the panel, each participant discussed their organization’s approach to helping eradicate hunger as well as their programs and commitments to continue fighting food insecurity, the release said. Attendees were then invited to visit three stations at the event — Today, Tomorrow and Forever — to learn about actions they can take to help end the cycle of hunger.

“Food insecurity is a complex problem that requires collaboration to create long-term, lasting solutions,” said Duncan Anderson. “By partnering with Kellanova, No Kid Hungry and Regen House at such an innovative conference like SXSW, we have the unique opportunity to shine a light on hunger and the urgent need for communities to come together to address food insecurity and brainstorm innovative solutions.”

Nourishing Neighbors, a charitable program of the foundation, seeks to ensure at-risk children, adults, seniors and families have access to the food they need to thrive. This past June, Nourishing Neighbors celebrated a decade of fighting hunger in local communities. Since the program’s inception in 2014, Nourishing Neighbors has raised more than $297 million for thousands of nonprofit organizations that are on the front lines of combating hunger in America, the release said.

Albertsons says its stores donate millions of pounds of food each year to local food banks, pantries and other organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against hunger. As outlined in the latest Recipe for Change report, the company donated more than 92 million pounds of food from stores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities in 2023, which is the equivalent of enabling over 76 million meals. Additionally, local stores support hunger relief efforts such as food drives and volunteer initiatives. Thanks to these efforts, combined with the generosity of Albertsons’ associates and customers, the company met its original goal of enabling more than 1 billion meals in 2023, the release said.

“A key component of our Recipe for Change framework is fighting food insecurity at a local level which is why we’re constantly exploring programs and partnerships that advance localized food donation solutions,” said Suzanne Long, chief sustainability and transformation officer for Albertsons. “We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made to date, and we’re keen to leverage and implement innovative practices as we work to achieve our new goal of enabling an additional 1.5 billion meals by 2030.”