Ambitious project for food insecurity and food waste

The Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB) has launched a $5.5-million fundraising campaign for what it is calling its Food Rescue Transformation Centre in Kelowna.

The planned 11,000-square-foot warehouse facility is designed to bridge the gap between hunger and abundance. The organization said the centre will help meet rising demand on COFB services while also capturing millions of pounds of nutritious food available through food rescue in the region.

In a news release, COFB said the Central Okanagan is not immune to the global issue of food waste. It said food waste occurs when producers are left with crop surpluses they cannot sell, when produce is deemed unsellable due to size, or when minor cosmetic imperfections make otherwise usable food undesirable on the market.

Much of that food is discarded because there are limited alternatives. With the Transformation Centre, COFB said it hopes to provide an option for producers seeking solutions for surplus or unsellable product.