Since August 2022, Sprouts Farmers Market has used the Careit app to track more than 30 million pounds of food donated to 216 nonprofits across the U.S. In addition, more than 14 million pounds of surplus fresh produce has been given to local food-rescue agencies to distribute.
Sprouts aims to be a leader in the philanthropic sustainable space, helping community organizations and “mom and pops” nonprofits access meals through its food donation program. And Sprouts makes it a priority to incorporate ESG in its sustainability program nationwide.
“We’re very produce-centric and proud that we can provide fresh food to our local community partners that feed those with diet restrictions who need a nutritious meal,” said Natasha Tofil, Sprouts Farmers Market’s environmental compliance manager.
“In the past, we would have to turn away nonprofits who requested donations, but with Careit, we have been able to easily onboard them to our program and foster more meaningful connections at a local level – the heart of our communities.”
Careit partnership helps Sprouts iby:
- Taking on the administration burden of compliance and ESG data tracking;
- Locating and building partnerships with nonprofit agency partners; and
- Encouraging Sprouts employees to be more engaged with their communities through food donations.
“Our partnership with Sprouts aligns with our goal of getting healthier nutrition and even organic produce in the hands of those who are food insecure. Affordability is a major concern for nonprofits, and our free app services enable them to easily connect with food donors – such as Sprouts – with a simplified donation logistics process,” said Alyson Schill, Careit CEO and co-founder.
Carol’s Kindness Food Pantry has benefited greatly from Sprouts, receiving produce, meals, salads and fruit. To date, the nonprofit has received nearly 1.05 million pounds of Sprouts-donated food since joining the Careit app.
“Without Sprouts, we would not have as much nutritious food to pass to our clients. We do get food from a local food bank but not meals, meat and protein,” said Carol Rabun, CEO of the food pantry.
“Sprouts provides those as well as vegetables, fruit, cheese, milk, yogurt, bread and pastries. Before we joined Careit, we didn’t document anything. Now that we weigh everything and keep records, it’s amazing to see how many pounds are redirected and kept out of the landfill.”
Sprouts goes beyond the typical donation process and makes an effort to personalize its local community partner relationships, according to Carol’s Kindness Food Pantry.
The nonprofit enjoys working with its local Sprouts team because of the encouraging messages they receive on food donations (i.e., “We appreciate you” on egg cartons) and getting gestures of kindness during hardships (i.e., bouquet of flowers when one of their volunteers lost a loved one).
“As Sprouts continues to expand its sustainability program tracking through Careit, one area the grocer plans to incorporate is an animal feed donation tracking component. Diverting food waste that is not quite fit for human consumption to pets and livestock creates a valuable resource that saves money and keeps nutrients out of landfills,” Tofil said.
“The next evolution is expanding our animal feed program to get farmers on the Careit app who utilize our food that can’t be donated. This food has good life left in it that can be used for animal feed and soil regeneration.”
[RELATED: $3.3M In One Day: Sprouts Supports 550+ Nonprofits]