HAMPER PROGRAM

Foodbank SA & NT provides Everyday Hampers, prepared by our volunteers for those in need and distributed by our welfare agency partners. The hampers comprise everyday staples and essential ingredients for meal preparation.

As well, each year we provide Christmas Hampers, prepared for us by our corporate volunteers in the Edwardstown warehouse, beginning mid-October. Corporate groups use this opportunity as a team building activity, whilst providing much needed support to Foodbank. We were pleased to again see a waiting list of organisations wanting to participate in the Christmas Hamper packing program.

Last year, around 10,000 Christmas Hampers were packed and distributed to metro and country regions, via welfare agencies, to families who struggle to make ends meet at Christmas. For some families this may be the only present they get at Christmas.

Fruit & Veg For All

Providing Free Fruit & Veg to those in need.

Through an innovative partnership with the South Australian Produce Market established in August 2012, we were able to secure a 1,000m2 warehouse which became the symbol of our commitment to offer a healthy choice to our welfare partners.

At our Foodbank’s Fruit & Veg Centre we source donations from fresh produce wholesalers to distribute via our warehouses and foodhubs. We go even further by nurturing relationships with growers and packing sheds in the Riverland, Adelaide Hills and Virginia regions to source produce straight from the orchard/farm to our Fruit & Veg Centre. At Foodbank, fresh produce is distributed at no charge.

When we started this program our annual fresh fruit and vegetable collection was totaled approximately 100,000 kilograms and now almost 5 years on, we receive over one million kilograms of donated fresh fruit and vegetables annually.

All produce we receive is sorted and value-added, then provided to welfare agencies, community kitchens and schools at no charge to assist families and children.

Collaborative Supply Program

Turning our ‘surprise chain’ into a supply chain

We have a Foodbank in every state and territory throughout Australia, feeding over a million people every month.

So we can’t rely on donations alone.

With the increasing demand for food relief and a focus on reducing waste, our world leading Collaborative Supply Program was born. We collaborate with manufacturers and their component suppliers to produce a reliable supply of everyday foods.

The staple foods we currently produce via a collaborative supply program include:

Pasta, bread, Eggs, pasta sauce, Meat, breakfast cereal, canned tomatoes, coffee, Fresh Milk,Fruit and vegetables, cereal, recipe bases like butter chicken.

How the Collaborative Supply Program works

We agree on a product and a sustainable production volume with our partners using their existing manufacturing facility and production capacity.

We then work along the supply chain with farmers, ingredient, packaging suppliers and transport companies to seek their support. Their support can be donations of their component, such as an ingredient, packing or transport. Another option is providing financial assistance to cover the cost of their part.

For the components that cannot be fully donated, we use funds from industry and government to fill the funding gap.

See how you can get involved

Working with Farmers & Growers

Working with manufacturers

Food Waste In Australia

Nutrition at Foodbank

At Foodbank, we believe everyone should have access to good quality, nutritious, culturally and life-stage appropriate food. As more people seek food relief from charities, providing ready access to these foods to help reduce the negative health impacts of food insecurity, is an important part of our services.

We work with the entire food and grocery industry, from growers and farmers to manufacturers and retailers, to source a range of food that meets the needs of the everyday people we help.

Foodbank also offers practical solutions to cooking healthy meals on a budget. A team of dietitians at Foodbank WA, have developed programs that teach essential life skills such as how to read food labels, plan and prepare meals and shop on a budget.

All the recipes meet the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommendations, can be made in under 30 minutes and are budget-friendly.

For more information on planning and cooking healthy meals on a budget, connect with the team to join a nom! program visit nom!

To learn more about Foodbank’s commitment to improving the nutrition of people experiencing food insecurity, click here.

Every $1 will help provide 2 meals.

Reconciliation Action Plan

Foodbank SA & NT’s committed to Reconciliation

Reconciliation Australia’s RAP framework provides organisations with a structured approach to further the reconciliation movement in Australia. Foodbank SA & NT are committed to Reconciliation. Reconciliation Australia has approved and endorsed the Foodbank SA & NT’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – Innovate Stage.

Acknowledgement of Country

Foodbank SA & NT acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we operate, the Kaurna, Arrernte, Erawirunga, Wirangu, Bungandidj, Ngarrindjeri, Barngarla, Nawu, Ngadjuri, Nukunu, Larrakia & Narungga peoples, and their elders, past and present. We acknowledge and respect the ongoing connection that aboriginal people have to these lands as the original custodians.

Our Vision for Reconciliation

Foodbank South Australia and Northern Territories vision for reconciliation is a nation that truly acknowledges our shared histories with First Nations peoples’, the inequalities that they still face today, and strives to provide all First Nations peoples’ with truly equal opportunities, including being able to access healthy food in a dignified manner, appropriate to their specific needs.

Foodbank SA & NT Reconciliation Action Plan (Innovate)

Read our action plan

Foodbank SA & NT understands the importance of building strong and respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’, within our local and wider communities. Such understanding is critical to ensure that these communities have input into how Foodbank can best provide service to meet the demand for food.

About the Artist & Artwork

“This painting is about the way women hunt Wardapi – that sand goanna. He digs holes in the dunes, makes his nest deep inside. Many of the holes all join up. Women hunt Wardapi in the dunes by digging out the holes. Sometimes cover one, and Wardapi runs out other one. Need to hunt him together. Find all the holes. Dig them at the same time. Someone going to get him that way.” Grace Spencer – Artist

The Wardapi Jukurrpa [Varanus Gouldii Goanna] belongs to the Spencer Sisters. It comes from Yarripilangku [aka Yinyiripalangu], south-west of Yuendumu. A group of Warlpiri Karnta [women] are sittng down in a circle when a Japangardi Wati [man] from Puturlu [Mt Theo], called Wamaru came upon them. He wants to take one of them, named Yurlkurinyi, of Nungarrayi skin, which is the wrong skin for him.

He takes the Nungarrayi woman up a hill, where they make love. In response, the earth on top of the hill turns to Ngunjungunju [white ochre], and yellow and red ochre. The yellow is for Karnta and the red for Wa. The ochre is used by Warlpiri people for love magic and ceremonial decoration. The Wati turns all the Karnta and himself into Wardapi, aka Varanus Gouldii goannas. This Jukurrpa belongs to the Napaljarri/Japaljarri and Nungarrayi /Jungarrayi subsections, and the Japanangka/Napanangka, Japangardi/Napangardi subsections of Puturlu. The women are often represented by ‘U’ shapes. Concentric circles may illustrate Wardapi holes, or their droppings left behind them, and Wardapi tracks are usually represented by ‘W’ shapes and wavy lines.

Furry friends not forgotten when times are tough

At Foodbank, we believe that every member of the family, including our beloved pets, deserve to be nourished and cared for.

Sadly, we’ve heard stories of parents skipping meals to feed their children. Now, we’re witnessing similar selflessness towards our furry companions, with almost a quarter of food-insecure households skipping meals so their pets can eat.

Through our recently released Foodbank Pet Hunger report, we have identified that pets are now becoming a larger part of the food insecurity story in Australia.

Pet hunger web article Jenny recently shared: “We had 3 cats and a dog. But we rehomed the dog and the younger cat because they were beginning to become malnourished as we couldn’t afford to feed them all.”

Foodbank recognises the necessity to support pets and that more needs to be done.

Roger recently shared: “My cat is my only family… I would love to have some assistance, a lot of the times I go without just so she can have food and vet care.”

Your support of Foodbank means struggling families are also able to look after and support their furry friends who provide them with love, companionship and emotional care.

Help us get more vital food to vulnerable South Australians and Territorians in need. For every $1 donated we can distribute 2 meals to someone in need.

Research & Reports

Here at Foodbank, we are the definitive source of information on food insecurity and food relief services in Australia. We conduct several surveys annually, including surveys of individuals experiencing food insecurity, charities providing food relief, and organisations donating food and groceries. We also maintain comprehensive statistics on our operations, including detailed data on the food and groceries we collect and distribute. We publish several reports throughout the year, all of which can be accessed here.

South Australia Annual Report 2023-24

More Reports

Foodbank Hunger Reports & Hunger in the Classroom

Foodbank Hunger Report 2023

Foodbank Paws in Need – Pet Hunger Report 2023

Foodbank Hunger Report 2022

Foodbank Hunger Report 2021

Foodbank Hunger Report 2020

Foodbank Hunger Report 2019

Foodbank Hunger Report 2019 Infographic

Foodbank Hunger Report 2018

Rumbling Tummies 2018 – Child Hunger in Australia

Rumbling Tummies 2018 – Infographic

Foodbank Hunger Report 2017

Foodbank Hunger Report 2016

Hunger in the Classroom 2015

Foodbank Hunger Report 2014

Foodbank South Australia Older Reports

Food waste in Australia

Did you know Australia produces enough food to feed everyone three times over? Yet 3.4 million households struggled to put a meal on their table last year.

Australia currently creates more than 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year – enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Grounds nine times. This is costing the Australian economy over $36.6 billion despite 70 percent of it is perfectly edible.

Around 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food produced but wasted. In Australia, this represents 17.5 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

Australia is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (12.3) to half food waste by 2030. We have a plan to help reach that goal. Foodbank’s food and grocery rescue operations saved 86.6 million kilograms of CO2 emissions in 2022*. We are an active participant in Stop Food Waste Australia and the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, which are both committed to halving food waste by 2030.

We are also advocating the government to adopt a National Food Donation Tax Incentive, developed by KPMG Australia, with the support of the Fight Food Waste CRC and the food relief sector. If implemented today, this tax incentive would save around an additional 100 million meals a year by 2030, making an immeasurable difference to our sustainability and the well-being of vulnerable Australians.

Incentives along the same lines as our proposal are currently working successfully in the USA, France, Canada and the Netherlands. This approach has the potential to help generate social, economic and environmental benefits valued at $2 billion per annum. It would directly assist in achieving our ambitious food waste reduction target.

How can I help prevent food waste in my home?

More than a third of Australia’s food waste is generated in the home, so we all have a part to play. We often waste food because of confusion between best-before and use-by dates or because we’re unsure whether leftovers are safe to reheat. A little bit of food-handling knowledge goes a long way! To help fight food waste in your home, it’s as easy as clickinghere. With the average Aussie household wasting $3,800 every year thanks to wasting food, it’s worth the effort!

Do you have food or stock to donate?

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The Facts

Hello, we’re Foodbank. We believe everyone should have access to good food no matter their situation. We’re here for the everyday Australians who are going without. We are working hard to change that.

In Australia, we provide food and grocery relief to 2,929 front-line charities and 3,220 school breakfast programs to help feed people in need. Last year alone, we sourced enough food for 92 million meals.

Explore the facts of food insecurity in Australia.

FOODBANK HUNGER REPORT

Research and Reports

We are Australia’s definitive source of information on food insecurity and food relief. We publish several reports throughout the year, all of which can be accessed here.

Go to Research & Reports

Foodbank Hunger Report 2024

Now in its 11th year, the report reveals the widening gap between those managing to adapt to rising costs and those being left behind.

Read the Report

Foodbank Hunger Map

This groundbreaking tool provides a detailed snapshot of food insecurity across Australia, offering unparalleled insights into the depth and scale of the challenge.

Food waste in Australia

Ending food waste plays a big role in ending hunger, and everyone has a part to play; from production, right through to the way that we as consumers choose to shop. Read More

HAMPER PROGRAM

Fruit & Veg For All

Providing Free Fruit & Veg to those in need.

Collaborative Supply Program

Turning our ‘surprise chain’ into a supply chain

How the Collaborative Supply Program works

See how you can get involved

Working with Farmers & Growers

Working with manufacturers

Food Waste In Australia

Nutrition at Foodbank

Every $1 will help provide 2 meals.

Reconciliation Action Plan

Foodbank SA & NT’s committed to Reconciliation

Acknowledgement of Country

Our Vision for Reconciliation

Foodbank SA & NT Reconciliation Action Plan (Innovate)

About the Artist & Artwork

Furry friends not forgotten when times are tough

Research & Reports

Foodbank Hunger Report 2025

Social Return on Investment 2024

Foodbank Hunger Report 2024

South Australia Annual Report 2023-24

More Reports

Foodbank Hunger Reports & Hunger in the Classroom

Foodbank South Australia Older Reports

Food waste in Australia

Did you know Australia produces enough food to feed everyone three times over? Yet 3.4 million households struggled to put a meal on their table last year.

How can I help prevent food waste in my home?

Do you have food or stock to donate?

More like this

Support a National Food Donation Tax Incentive

What we do at Foodbank

Collaborative Supply Program

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

The Facts

FOODBANK HUNGER REPORT

Research and Reports

Foodbank Hunger Report 2024

Foodbank Hunger Map

Food waste in Australia

Reconciliation Action Plan

Hunger in South Australia & the Northern Territory