‘Nobody will have to go hungry again’

A new charity has vowed that nobody in Ireland will ever have to go hungry again.

Bia Food Initiative opened its first centre in Little Island, Co Cork, yesterday from which it plans to distribute 3,000 tonnes of food annually to needy people in Munster.

The charity aims to have three food distribution hubs open in the next year.

Director Eoin McCuirc said the initiative is aimed at making food poverty “a thing of the past”.

“Around 10% of Irish people suffer from food poverty, and we estimate that 21% of Irish children go to school hungry every day,” he said.

“It’s our belief that when all three of our depots are open, nobody in Ireland will ever have to go hungry again.”

The opening of a distribution centre near the M50 in Dublin is planned by April, to be followed by a centre in Galway.

Tesco is the first major retailer to support the charity. It donated €60,000, shelving, and the services of one of its employees to help set up the Little Island warehouse, which has been donated rent-free by Eddie O’Connell of the O’Connell Group. Cross Refrigeration has also provided the charity with refrigerators.

Tesco retail support director Ciarán Foley said the company is committed to reducing food waste and delighted to help BiaFi.

“We will be able to donate any food surplus from our depots to charity,” said Mr Foley. “Not only will we be able to reduce food waste in Ireland but also make a major contribution to the communities in which we operate.”

BiaFi has identified 175 food charities throughout Munster with which it hopes to link to make its distributions to needy families more effective.