Albertsons pledges millions to help end hunger

A combination of food donations and fundraising will be used to help a Boise-based grocery chain meet an ambitious goal to end food insecurity nationwide.

At the South by Southwest SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, Albertsons Companies and The Albertsons Companies Foundation are seeking to reach a goal of providing 1.5 billion meals by 2030 through surplus food donations through the grocery store and raising funds through the foundation.

The combination effort is being done through the company’s Recipe for Change impact framework. The foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors program is also investing $10 million each year “to help break the cycle of hunger through various initiatives.”

Albertsons donates millions of pounds of food annually to local food banks and other organizations working to provide food to those in need.

“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.”

During an SXSW panel discussion, Christy Duncan Anderson, president and executive director of The Albertson Companies Foundation, and partners of the organization discussed the programs they have to help fight and end hunger.

“Food insecurity is a complex problem that requires collaboration to create long-term, lasting solutions,” Duncan Anderson said. “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.”

According to its Recipe for Change report, Albertsons donated more than 92 million pounds of food from its stores and distribution and manufacturing facilities in 2023, equating to more than 76 million meals. The added effort of fundraising equaled more than 1 billion meals donated that year.

“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.”