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Dairy industry comes together to help fight hunger in Australia

For the last six years, big players in the dairy industry including Murray Goulburn, Parmalat, Fonterra, and Lion Dairy and Drinks, have come together to help Foodbank provide more than 8 million litres of milk to vulnerable Australians experiencing food insecurity.

“Our charity partners regularly inform us that people who are struggling to put food on the table often have to sacrifice dairy products,” said Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey.

“This makes regular milk donations from the dairy industry vitally important in providing a consistent source of calcium to Australians in need.”

This financial year, the collaboration has produced one million litres of fresh milk for Foodbank’s Milk Program. On top of this, the dairy processors also regularly donate other products from their ranges such as yoghurt and cheese.

To ensure the supply has a wide reach, each partner is responsible for donating fresh milk in specific states and territories. Parmalat provides fresh milk in QLD and the NT, Murray Goulburn in NSW/ACT, Fonterra in Victoria, and Lion Dairy and Drinks in WA, SA and Tasmania

“Our annual Foodbank Hunger Report tells us that rural and regional communities are 11per cent more likely to be food insecure than their metro counterparts,” said Casey.

“In fact, more than a third of the food and groceries distributed through Foodbank’s network of more than 2600 charities goes to country Australia.

“Despite the prevalence of food insecurity in rural and regional areas, these communities are also some of our most generous in terms of donations of milk, fresh produce, eggs, and meat, so initiatives like the Foodbank Milk Program means that Australian dairy processors are often helping farmers in quite a unique way.”

The Foodbank Milk Program is one of the food relief organisation’s longest running programs. Within six years of its launch, Foodbank has been able to deliver more than 8.6 million litres of milk to Australians in need.

“The countless meaningful contributions and extraordinary community spirit shown by our milk partners, even during tough times for the industry, has ensured Foodbank can provide one of the core ingredients of a well-balanced diet to vulnerable Australians,” said Casey.

 

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