We fulfill our mission of food rescue by:
- sourcing food, including products with short shelf life, known as non-commercial items, defective packaging, whose nutritional value and quality are not in question
- storing the received products and their rational distribution to local partner organizations, which help those in need
- promoting attitudes to counteract food waste
- cooperating with numerous partners: retail networks, food producers and processors, transport companies, which support us in our daily activities
The Federation is a network of 31 Food Banks operating throughout Poland, reaching out to approximately 1.5 million people annually and conducting numerous projects in the field of food aid and education. Only in the years 2018-2023, Food Banks affiliated with the Federation donated a total of over 167,000 tons of food to people in need.
Food Banks have also engaged in key legislative processes aimed at reducing food waste in Poland. Thanks to the participation of the Federation of Polish Food Banks, the obligation to pay VAT on food donations from producers was abolished in 2009. Four years later, this tax was also abolished for distributors. This was a significant achievement for Food Banks in terms of cooperation and partnership building.
In the years 2020-2023, Food Banks were one of the non-governmental organizations facing new and unforeseen crises. The first of these was the coronavirus pandemic, which significantly affected the way aid was sourced and delivered, and the second was the outbreak of war in Ukraine. As Food Banks, we made every effort to respond to the new demand and additional individuals in need of support. In the case of the war in Ukraine, Food Banks in both Poland and Ukraine donated a total of nearly 6,300 tons of food worth over 70 million PLN. In our country, almost 200 workshops were organized for nearly 2,000 people to strengthen Polish-Ukrainian ties. Local Food Banks activated refugees through volunteering, helping them find housing and employment. In total, Food Banks’ assistance reached approximately 300,000 people.
An important area of Food Banks’ activities is also the organization of food drives and the promotion of helping, solidarity, and volunteering associated with it. Traditionally, two food drives are held annually in stationary stores: Easter and Christmas, involving tens of thousands of people. Thanks to their commitment and work, hundreds of tons of food reach those in need.