The PEI Food Recovery Network was funded by the Government of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Challenge Fund, and aimed to reduce food waste on PEI by utilizing the Second Harvest Food Rescue App. The app redirects surplus food from producers, wholesalers, and retailers to organizations that can put it to use.

This project, carried out by Second Harvest, also worked to educate Islanders on the importance of reducing food waste and food waste’s contribution to climate change. By diverting food waste, this project reduced the wasted resources and greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with the problem, all while providing food to those who need it.

The Second Harvest team surpassed their goal of new Food Rescue App locations, recruiting 103 new partners as of January 2023. The project was able to avert 552,960lbs of equivalent CO2 greenhouse gases.

They were able to coordinate successful surplus food rescues with donors like Amalgamated Dairies Limited (ADL), Cavendish Farms, Murphy Hospitality Group, and the Culinary Institute of Canada, as well as non-profits such as PEI School Food’s five kitchens and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society. These donors, and many others, are now equipped with the tools to efficiently redirect their surplus away from landfill and into the hands of Island non-profits.

This project was a partnership between the City of Charlottetown and Farm & Food Care PEI.