Since partnering with Careit – a food donation app – in August 2022, Sprouts Farmers Market has used Careit 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 donated and given to local food rescue agencies to distribute to those in need.
Sprouts aims to be a leader in the philanthropic sustainable space, helping local community organizations and “mom and pops” nonprofits access meals through its robust food donation program. In addition, as the effects of climate change become more pronounced, customers are looking to the businesses they support to better the planet, 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. 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,” said Natasha Tofil, Sprouts Farmers Market’s environmental compliance manager.
Careit partnership helps Sprouts in multiple ways, including:
- Taking on the administration burden of compliance and ESG data tracking;
- Locating and building partnerships with local nonprofit agency partners; and
- Encouraging Sprouts team members to be more engaged with their local 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, fruit both cut and fresh to serve to its clients. To date, the nonprofit agency 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, Carol’s Kindness Food Pantry CEO.
“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.”
In addition, Sprouts is looking to amplify more surplus food donation store pickups on the weekends, which helps smaller startups who may not be able to pick up during the week. The grocery retailer no longer has to turn away these social service agencies who need assistance.
[RELATED: $3.3M In One Day: Sprouts Supports 550+ Nonprofits]