Vancouver businesses, non-profits work together to reduce food insecurity

British Columbia·VideoThe Vancouver Food Recovery Network says it rescues more than 400,000 pounds of food from landfills and redistributes it each month.Vancouver Food Recovery Network rescues more than 180K kilograms of food per monthCBC News · Posted: Dec 02, 2025 6:34 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Vancouver non-profit saves 400,000 pounds of food from landfills each monthThe Vancouver Food Recovery Network says it rescues more than 400,000 pounds of food from landfills and redistributes it each month. Representatives from Vancouver Food Runners and the Food Stash Foundation explain how it works. Charities and food banks are struggling to meet demand as more than 1.3 million British Columbians are experiencing food insecurity, according to a new report. That’s why groups like the Vancouver Food Recovery Network (VFRN) have assembled to connect businesses and non-profit organizations to divert food from landfills to people in need. The network says it rescues more than 180,000 kilograms of food each month. Michelle Reining, executive director of Vancouver Food Runners, one of the VFRN member organizations, said they pick up food from businesses like grocery stores, restaurants or hotels, and take it to nearby charities for redistribution. Join CBC to help Make the Season Kind for Canadians this winterShe said there’s often a misconception that expired or imperfect food is being shared when in fact they work to ensure the food is in good shape. “There’s that dignity piece, as well,” Reining said. “We want to ensure that the food we are matching to a nearby charity is of high quality.” CBC B.C. is hosting its annual Make the Season Kind campaign in support of Food Banks in B.C. on Friday, Dec. 5, featuring a day full of special programming. Anyone wishing to make a donation as part of the campaign can go to cbc.ca/kindbc, where a drop-down menu will direct your donation to any of the 111 food banks that are part of Food Banks B.C.