FareShare Cymru is delighted to announce that the Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund has been renewed for a further three years, thanks to continued support from Welsh Government — helping ensure even more Welsh food reaches Welsh communities instead of going to waste. 🌱
Each year in Wales, around 400,000 tonnes of food is wasted, much of it still perfectly good to eat. At the same time, 1 in 5 adults in Wales face poverty and food insecurity. Through the Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund, FareShare Cymru works with Welsh producers and food businesses to redirect good-to-eat surplus food to charities and community organisations across the country — turning an environmental challenge into a social solution.
Originally introduced to remove cost barriers that prevent businesses from donating surplus food, the fund covers transport, staffing and packaging costs, making it completely free for Welsh food producers to donate.
With this renewed three-year commitment, even more surplus food can stay in Wales and reach people who need it most.
Supporting Welsh Growers to Support Welsh Communities
Between April 2025 and March 2026, the Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund helped rescue over 58 tonnes of Welsh produce, supporting 186 Community Food Members across South Wales and providing the equivalent of 138,795 meals to an estimated 21,390 people.
Supporting Welsh growers means supporting Welsh communities — helping ensure good food reaches plates, not landfill.
Removing Barriers for Welsh Food Producers
In recent years, rising costs across the food sector have made surplus redistribution more difficult, with disposal routes such as anaerobic digestion often cheaper than donation.
The Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund helps remove those barriers by covering the practical costs associated with redistribution — making it easier for producers to ensure surplus food reaches people instead of going to waste.
Welsh growers and producers consistently highlight how important the fund has been.
Piers Lunt, Head Grower at Bremenda Isaf Farm, said:
“This fund has been absolutely instrumental in diverting surplus from waste. We had a situation where cucumbers destined for school meals were producing significant quantities during the summer holidays. It was a lifeline for us to have a third-sector route with no limit on the quantities it could handle.”
Matthew Thomas, National Account Manager at Puffin Produce, added:
“The Surplus with Purpose initiative offers a solution to the problem of food waste by allowing us to cover harvesting and labour costs for donating otherwise commercially unviable surplus.”
Turning Surplus Food into Community Impact
Surplus food redistributed through the fund supports hundreds of charities and community organisations across Wales — helping them provide meals, reduce food costs and create welcoming spaces where people can connect.
As one community member attending a surplus-food-supported lunch club at Grow Rhondda shared:
“This was more than just food to me.”
Together, partnerships like these show how surplus food can do far more than fill plates — it helps strengthen communities across Wales. 💚
A Welsh Solution for Welsh Food
The renewal of the Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund ensures Welsh producers can continue donating surplus food free of charge, while communities benefit from reliable access to nutritious ingredients.
It reinforces a simple principle:
Welsh surplus food belongs on Welsh plates.
Food businesses interested in donating through the Surplus with Purpose Cymru Fund can contact swp@fareshare.cymru to learn more.