Killian Barry, Danone Ireland’s Country Director, Aoibheann O’Brien, Director of Development and Innovation at FoodCloud and Brendan Dowling of Whitefriar Community Centre at FoodCloud’s hub in Tallaght
FoodCloud partnership with Danone is extended
FoodCloud has extended its partnership with Danone Ireland for two more years until 2028
Since 2023, the partnership has redistributed 174 tonnes of surplus food and supported 685 community partners with nutritional guidance, including tailored recipes and a series of educational webinars designed to help turn surplus food into healthy meals.
The renewed partnership will see further development of the successful nutrition education programme and an expansion of volunteer support.
The partnership combines FoodCloud’s redistribution network which is based in Broomhill Industrial Estate in Tallaght with Danone’s nutrition expertise, helping community organisations provide more balanced, nutritious food to the people they support.
The benefits of the partnership are reflected through FoodCloud’s research with its community partners, with 85 per cent reporting increased access to nutritious food and 77 per cent saving money on food costs, enabling them to expand services.
More than four-fifths of organisations also agreed that the provision of surplus food has helped them reach more people, seeing it as a ‘gateway’ to help people engage with other services.
The renewed partnership will see Danone continue to deliver its nutrition education programme alongside an expanded volunteering initiative in 2026, supporting FoodCloud’s kitchens, hubs and gleaning activities nationwide.
Building on the success of the partnership to date, the extension will focus on deepening impact at community level by enhancing the reach and accessibility of nutritional supports.
This includes evolving the education programme to address emerging needs identified by community partners, as well as supporting organisations to make the most of an increasingly diverse range of surplus food.
Commenting about the partnership extension, Aoibheann O’Brien, Director of Development and Innovation at FoodCloud, said: “Danone supports several core elements of FoodCloud’s work, through food donation, volunteering, and specialist expertise through the nutrition education programme.
‘This programme has been particularly impactful, helping us empower our community partners with the knowledge and tools to maximise the nutritional value of the surplus food they receive.
‘We are excited to continue our collaboration with Danone, building on these successes and progressing our efforts to get good food to those who need it most”
