Fighting Hunger in Australia

This month we are doing things differently and shaking up the system. We believe our products should be accessible to all (over 18 years) regardless of financial status. During these trying times, so many have lost their jobs and businesses. So rather than donating our usual $1 to charity, we have decided to donate the equivalent value in products to Foodbank. Our products are designed to bring people together from all sorts of races and financial backgrounds. Everyone deserves an alcohol free grown up drink. Every time you purchase our non-alcoholic beer or alcohol-free wine, you will also be donating to a deserving charity, you can't tell me that's not a win-win! Here at Craftzero we are very passionate about giving back wherever we can and supporting the Foodbank through all of your purchases will help plenty of Australians in need.

Creating positive change

Foodbank is Australia's largest food relief organisation, operating on such a large scale that it is critical to the work of front-line charities that feed vulnerable Australians. Foodbank provides more than 70% of the food rescued for food relief organisations across the country. Foodbank provided the equivalent of 87.9 million meals to 2,600 charity partners last year. Millions of vulnerable Australians would go hungry if this food was not available which is why their work is so important. Foodbank and their work has a positive impact on the lives of Australians, with recipients of food and grocery assistance reporting that they are less hungry, have more focus and concentration, are less stressed, and are more hopeful. Foodbank not only leads the fight against hunger, but also plays a critical role in addressing Australia's $20 billion food waste problem and helping the environment. Last year, Food Banks food and grocery rescue operations saved 92.7 million kilogrammes of CO2 emissions. You can see just how much amazing work this organisation is doing for Australians across the country. The social return on investment for each kilogramme of food distributed by Foodbank has been calculated to be $23. This means that the annual impact of Foodbank's work in the community is nearly $1 billion. 

Foodbank's activities in Australia play an important role in achieving a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end poverty, protect the environment, and ensure prosperity for all. Here are some of the goals Foodbank operations are strongly aligned with. They strongly believe everyone in Australia should have access to sufficient safe and nutritious food in order to thrive. A zero-hunger country can have a positive impact on our economy, health, education, equality, and social development. Achieving zero hunger is critical to creating a better future for all, and they are doing everything they can to achieve this. Another key goal the organisation believes in is reducing inequalities across Australia. Overcoming inequality is critical to achieving social cohesion and reducing political and social tensions, as well as driving economic growth. Finally, Foodbank believes and strives towards creating a sustainable future while providing those who are in need with adequate food supplies. Sustainable consumption and production are critical for lowering future economic, environmental, and social costs while also increasing economic competitiveness. Foodbank plays a critical role in assisting the Australian Government in achieving this goal through its food rescue activities and collaboration with stakeholders throughout the supply chain to reduce food waste and food loss.

Helping Australians during the lockdown

As you can imagine, the recent spike in Covid cases and the current Lockdown has been a very hard time for many families. Parents have lost jobs, kids are now stuck at home, there are immense pressures on families to just get by in this trying time. During this time, Foodbank is seeing an extraordinary increase in demand for emergency food relief as Australia's largest hunger relief charity. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65% of NSW and ACT residents have accessed food relief at least once, with 28% of these residents never having any issues with supplying food to their families before. It has also been recorded that those between 18 to 25 years old have been hit the hardest, mostly due to the fact that many people within this demographic either work in retail or hospitality, both of which have been fully ceased since the beginning of the lockdown. The demand for food relief has never been higher and Australians across the country are struggling to put food on the table, this is why Foodbank is so essential, especially during this trying time. 

Purchasing for a cause 

Over 4 million Australians experienced food insecurity in the previous 12 months, with children accounting for 22% of those in need. Hunger is a hidden crisis in Australia, and despite our best efforts, we estimate that we need 50% more food to feed everyone who needs help. Your ongoing contribution will have an immediate and long-term impact on Australians facing adversity. Foodbank needs our support more than ever right now so we are very excited and proud to get behind them and their amazing work.

To find out more about Foodbank click here