A new partnership between the Regina Food Bank and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank has seen more than 90,000 pounds of food redistributed between the two regions in what both organizations call a groundbreaking step to tackle hunger.
The exchange involved each food bank sending a truckload — roughly 45,000 pounds — of surplus food. Saskatchewan contributed pulses and grains, while British Columbia sent fresh produce including zucchini, carrots, potatoes and squash.
“Here in Saskatchewan, we’re proud to be part of the region that feeds the world,” Regina Food Bank CEO John Bailey said. “This is the first of what we hope will be many exchanges that prove hunger isn’t about scarcity, it’s about distribution. While others talk about food insecurity, we’re loading trucks and moving food to where it’s needed most.”
The trade was made possible through the Greater Vancouver Food Bank’s connection to CDS Ltd., which offered a transfer price of $6,000 to ship the goods both ways. Freight costs were covered by the sale of a juice product created from surplus apples and mandarin oranges, now on shelves at select Loblaws stores in Vancouver. The juice generated $8,000 in its first month, with some of the product included in the shipment sent to Regina.
David Long, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, said the initiative highlights a critical problem with how food is managed across the country.
“The issue isn’t a shortage of food – it’s a distribution problem,” Long said. “Food that would otherwise end up in landfills can be redirected to reach children and families who go to bed hungry. This allows us to trade valuable resources, feed people in need, and reduce unnecessary food waste.”
Both food banks say the partnership could set the stage for a new way of operating, where regional surpluses are shared across Canada.
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