Buddha Brands Donates $80,000 to Second Harvest Canada To Help Fight Hunger and Reduce Food Waste

SECOND HARVEST

MONTREAL, QC –/COMMUNITYWIRE/– Buddha Brands™, known for Thirsty Buddha® coconut water and sparkling coconut water, and Hungry Buddha® bars, is joining forces with Second Harvest Canada in an effort to fight food insecurity and reduce food waste. Buddha Brands™ is delighted to announce a donation of $80,000 to Second Harvest Canada in support of their vision “No Waste, No Hunger”. The donation will help provide enough food to distribute 242,424 meals through agencies and partners across Canada. Additionally, the food rescued for these meals will help prevent the release of over 700,000 pounds of greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere.

Since the launch of flagship label Thirsty Buddha® in 2012, Buddha Brands™ has pledged 1% of sales to environmentally focused non-profits through a membership with 1% For the Planet®. Christopher Magnone, Cofounder and CEO says of the recent donation, “When we learned that 1 in 7 Canadians reports facing food insecurity, and 32% of lost and wasted food across Canada could be rescued to support these families- we knew we had to be a part of a solution. We are so grateful for the efforts of Second Harvest and their network, who are working to recover and redistribute food while making a tangible impact on our communities and the environment. We have always believed in operating our business beyond a goal of profit and are beyond proud of this partnership”.

Food waste is one of the leading contributors to carbon pollution. When surplus food ends up in landfill, it generates 56.5 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions every year. Canada’s complex food value chain prevents traditional organizations from addressing and scaling solutions to food insecurity. But Second Harvest has found a cost effective, sustainable solution that involves close collaboration with communities across Canada to recover and redistribute fresh food in using innovative technology and partnerships, while reducing the adverse environmental impacts of food waste.

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“On behalf of all staff, volunteers, and stakeholders at Second Harvest, we are incredibly grateful and excited for this partnership with Buddha Brands. Their mission is perfectly aligned with ours against food waste and food insecurity. At a time when there has been a 39% increase in food insecurity, which has led to a worsening hunger crisis in communities of all sizes across Canada, there are now 6.7 million Canadians relying on community food organizations. This is the equivalent of the population of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta combined. This immensely generous support from Buddha Brands will provide such significant impact to our efforts to ensure that all Canadians have access to the food they need. Thank you so much to the Buddha Brands team for this outstanding gift!”

Kris-John Kucharik – Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships

About Buddha Brands:

Buddha Brands™ makes a range of Deliciously Clean™ snacks and beverages including Thirsty Buddha® Coconut Water, Thirsty Buddha® Sparkling Coconut Water, Hungry Buddha® Bars. From the very beginning the founders set out to build a company that reflects a conscious effort to live better, eat better, and do better through the creation of delicious, plant-based snacks and beverages made with clean, plant-powered and purposeful ingredients. As members of 1% For The Planet®, Buddha Brands™ pledges 1% of annual sales to organizations focused on protecting our natural resources and nourishing our communities. To learn more about Buddha Brands™, visit buddhabrands.ca or follow @BuddhaBrandsCo on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Second Harvest:

Second Harvest is the largest food rescue organization in Canada and a global thought leader on food recovery. We work across the supply chain from farm to retail to capture surplus food before it ends up in landfills and has the chance to negatively impact our environment. This food is then redistributed to a vast network of nonprofits across Canada, who use it to nourish people experiencing hunger. What started in 1985 out of the trunk of a hatchback has grown into a national organization that has rescued and delivered more than 271 million pounds of food, preventing over 591 million pounds of greenhouse gas equivalents from entering our atmosphere. Learn more at https://secondharvest.ca/.

Contacts

Media:
Samantha Carpanzano
Temple Lifestyle Inc. (Buddha Brands)
(514) 382-3805 x.208
samantha@buddhabrands.com