City Harvest Ealing: Fighting Hunger and Food Waste

The name City Harvest conjures up a wonderful picture, potato barrels lining The Mall, wheat sheaves stacked in Green Park and grape vines climbing Nelson’s column. The reality of City Harvest Ealing is rather different but equally wonderful – even more so.

City Harvest the London-wide food redistribution charity situated in our very own borough of Ealing. The headquarters of City Harvest Ealing is in a large warehouse on an industrial estate in Acton. Food that would otherwise go to waste is taken there for sorting, before being distributed to people in need. They collect surplus food from producers, distributors, and caterers. At the warehouse, food is sorted by hundreds of volunteers into that which can be kept at room temperature, food that that needs chilling, and that which has to be frozen. This food is organised according to the date by which it should be used. The food is then taken to places within the circumference of the M25, such as food banks, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens. This food feeds people who would otherwise go hungry.

While dealing with a serious social justice issue, the charity also addresses an environmental one. It reduces the amount of surplus food going into landfill and thus also greenhouse gas emissions. City Harvest is environmentally conscious too in the way it operates. The delivery routes are planned to minimise energy consumption and it is working towards an all-electric delivery fleet.

To find out more, including how you can help, see: https://cityharvest.org.uk/

For more information about other community gardens around Ealing, go to ActForEaling Food Redistribution and Sustainable Food Partners. Subscribe to ActForEaling email newsletter for regular updates on what is going on around Ealing.