This holiday season, give the gift of joy while making a meaningful impact. Second Harvest’s very own gift guide features a wide range of items, from elegant home goods and delicious treats to unique experiences. The best part? A portion of the proceeds from each purchase goes directly towards our food rescue and redistribution efforts, making a warm healthy meal within reach for everyone.
24 GOOD DEEDS Charity Advent Calendar
Nothing gets us into the spirit of the season than the 24 GOOD DEEDS Charity Advent Calendar. Each door will reveal a different charity project where your support is making an impact. Available in both print and digital, the calendar is a truly heartwarming countdown to the holidays. Every calendar purchase will help rescue around 2 pounds of healthy surplus food.
Designed to spark joy in your everyday life, Brightfield candles are hand poured in small batches in Toronto without parabens, phthalates or dyes. Whether you want to feel energized, stay focused or unwind, there’s a scent for your every mood and a gift for everyone on your list. For every candle sold, $1 will be donated to Second Harvest.
Awaken your inner chef with the Zero Food Waste Apron from Cooks Who Feed, designed in collaboration with Second Harvest. Cooks Who Feed ethically produces kitchen textiles with a give-back, providing meals to alleviate hunger. For every apron sold, 100 meals are provided to those suffering from food insecurity. These aprons are handmade in India, where the company provides safe, fair trade work to marginalized women.
These functional companions in the kitchen are made from 100% organic cotton canvas with an adjustable neck strap and plenty of pockets.
Join us on Monday, April 22, 2024 for an unforgettable experience where you can swirl, sip, and savor the rich flavors of over 400 exquisite wines from more than 100 renowned California wineries. This is the perfect gift for the wine lover on your list (or for yourself!).
Fièra Luxury Concealer is the only concealer of its kind for women over 40, providing all-day coverage that never gets cakey or settles into fine lines. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, collagen and peptides for radiant and youthful skin, this product is paraben and cruelty-free.
Carry a Cupanion Tote Bag to show your commitment to positive change! The reusable bag is made from recycled plastic bottles and comes with the Fill it Forward app. Every time you reuse, track the environmental impact and unlock charitable donations to projects around the world. #AlwaysGiving
A set of good knives is key to improving your cooking skills, and the Kilne Knife Set is the perfect gift. The knives are made with high grade chromium German steel and an ergonomic grip for extra safety and comfort. All Kilne knives come with a lifetime guarantee. With each purchase of the knife set, one meal will be donated to those in need.
Know someone who has a sweet tooth? Gift them Lindt’s special edition chocolate bars, available in three flavours: milk chocolate, milk chocolate hazelnut, and milk chocolate salted caramel. For every Lindt One for One bar purchased, Lindt Canada will donate one meal to those in need through Second Harvest. Doing good has never been this sweet!
From plates to flatware and linens featuring timeless elegant patterns, Misette has everything you need for your next dinner party. Show your style and create the desired ambience by using the complete set or mixing and matching items from different collections. With each tableware set sold, two meals will be donated to people facing food insecurity.
Stay warm and stylish this winter with Muttonhead’s Canadian Made clothing. This fall Second Harvest teamed up with Muttonhead to create ‘The Odd Club Collection’. This collection is designed to celebrate “odd” or misshapen produce, which are typically thrown out, and Second Harvest’s ability to get this produce in the hands of families in need. 10% of the sales from this collaboration are donated back to Second Harvest.
Toast to the season with Noble Vines Cabernet Sauvignon 337 vine stock originated in Bordeaux, rated BEST BUY and scored 92 Points by Wine Enthusiast, October 2023. This wine has rich, dark fruit flavors and fine tannins and pairs well with braised short ribs, grilled steaks and veggie burgers.
Savour the authentic Trini scotch bonnet pepper sauce, made locally in Burlington, Ontario! With its balance of flavor, heat and tang, Red Cap Hot Sauce will bring more depth to your dishes, giving them a new twist. $0.50 from every bottle of Red Cap Hot Sauce purchased will be donated to Second Harvest.
Indulge in an exquisite culinary experience and an exciting surprise concert at The Rescue Party! On May 26, 2024, the best of Toronto’s food scene will once again join forces with Canada’s most beloved artists in support of Second Harvest. Last year’s event was hosted by Kardinal Offishall and featured performances by Canadian icons Sam Roberts and Serena Ryder. Don’t miss this celebration of the finest culinary and musical talents, all in one night!
Each Wonderkind Holiday Surprise box includes Made-in-Canada artisanal products and treats. Wonderkind’s goal is simple: make gifting better, and they’ve achieved that through supporting small makers and local economies, as well as encouraging sustainable, circular practices.
Freeze it. Bake it. Boil it. Microwave it. New Ziploc® Endurables™ are designed to go directly from freezer, to oven, to table. Made with durable and reusable platinum silicone they withstand extreme temperatures. Use to bake (up to 425ºF), sous vide, or provide protection in sub-zero temperatures. They are mindfully designed to be continuously used, reused, then recycled.
Don’t feel like cooking after all the shopping you’ve done? Papa Johns created the Shaq-a-Roni to feed big appetites and make a big impact. For every Shaq-a-Roni sold through October 16 to December 31, 2023, Papa Johns will donate $1 to Second Harvest to provide 3 healthy meals to people and agencies in need.
These peanut butter oatmeal cookies have the perfect balance of flavours and textures: They’re sweet and nutty, chewy with a hint of crunch from the oatmeal and chunky peanut butter. Bake them, cool them and drop them in a fancy jar—you’ve just got a handmade gift that can delight everyone!
A huge thank you to Joan Treacy, a longstanding volunteer at 5N2, one of our Harvest Kitchens partners, for providing us with this recipe!
Ingredients
1 cup shortening 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cup chunky peanut butter 2 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup rolled oats
Instructions
Grease cookie sheet. Beat together the shortening and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Blend in peanut butter.
Sift dry ingredients together and stir gradually into the wet ingredient mixture. Stir in rolled oats. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet and press with a floured fork to create the crisscross pattern.
On November 9, Second Harvest’s 2023 Annual General Meeting took place at our headquarters and was livestreamed to attendees in other provinces. It was an important opportunity to recognize the tremendous support from our partners, donors and volunteers, as well as showcase the impact we made together in 2023.
Over the past 12 months, Second Harvest not only met but surpassed many of the goals we set for ourselves in our 3-year strategic plan. This is a strong testament to the importance of collaboration and partnerships in the fight against hunger and food waste. We invite you to take a look at our latest Annual Report or watch the recorded livestream to learn more about our inspiring partners and accomplishments.
In addition to the formal proceedings, the AGM fostered a sense of community among attendees. Networking opportunities allowed supporters to connect, share ideas and explore potential avenues for further collaboration.
Among the highlights of the event were the interactive activations on site. In Freshness Face-Off, participants’ tastebuds were challenged to see if they can identify whether a food item is before its best before date or past it. This not only heightens awareness about the lifespan of different food items but also emphasizes the significance of preventing avoidable waste.
Another engaging activation was Taste or Toss, a digital game requiring players to swipe left or right to decide how far past best-before dates various food items are safe to eat. This game aims to dispel misconceptions surrounding best before dates and encourage responsible consumption, reducing food waste in the process.
It’s been a busy year at Second Harvest. We rescued and redistributed 74.4 million pounds of food and made nutrition more accessible to over 4.8 million people across Canada, averting 241 million pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the environment in the process.
This is an excerpt from Second Harvest’s recently published Annual Report for 2023. To learn more about the inspiring partners, donors and non-profits we work with, read the full report here.
Second Harvest has completed the first year of our ambitious three-year strategic plan and together we have made an enormous difference in the lives of people experiencing food insecurity and the planet. Many of the goals we set for ourselves in this strategic plan were not only met, but exceeded a full two years ahead of schedule.
Increasing impact
2023 was a difficult year for many Canadians. Affordability and inflation, combined with the climate crisis led to a significant increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity and relying on non-profits to meet those needs. In response, Second Harvest rescued and redistributed 74.4 million pounds of food, surpassing our 2025 target of 72 million pounds by 3.3%.
With this food we were able to reach more than 4,400 non-profits and charities, putting us 88% of the way towards our goal of reaching 5,000 organizations by 2025. Rescued food was used to support more than 14,000 programs operated by these non-profits, exceeding the goal we set for 2025 by 40%.
Our Training & Education Platform reached 7,507 people in the last twelve months, which is an increase of more than 2,500 people from the previous year, surpassing our goal for 2025 to engage 5,500 individuals annually by 36%.
Through corporate food sort opportunities at our main warehouse location, events and other opportunities, the number of volunteers that donated their time to Second Harvest increased to 3,086 in 2023 – 54% above the goal we set for 2025.
Food loss and waste’s impact on climate change
Our team completed the creation of new calculators for greenhouse gas aversion and water waste prevention, which will help more accurately track the environmental impact of food rescue and redistribution. We aimed to complete these calculators by 2025 and have achieved this milestone a full two years early.
Through our growing social media platform, as well as in Second Harvest’s testimony in the House of Commons, we kicked off two grassroots campaigns related to consumer food waste and the elimination of best before dates.
Notably, following our testimony in the House of Commons, The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food released a report examining grocery affordability which included a recommendation that the government investigate how eliminating best before dates would impact Canadians, as well as a recommendation that the government partner with non-profit organizations and large food retailers to develop programs to divert food that would otherwise be wasted to Canadians experiencing food insecurity.
These actions have tremendously supported our strategic goal of advocating for public policy changes to align with Canada’s UN commitment to reduce food loss and waste in half by 2030.
Honour people and the planet
This past year we have made significant progress towards our goal of reaching Net-Zero in our operations, by carefully evaluating the current state of our own business carbon footprint. In 2023 we completed the measurement of Second Harvest’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
We also purchased our very first electric delivery van. We had hoped to start electrifying our fleet by 2025 and are excited to have brought this new van in so early.
Editor’s Note: Food waste isn’t just a Canadian problem – it’s a global issue with devastating impacts on climate change and hunger. All over the world, countries struggle to ensure good food ends up on plates instead of landfills, and many have developed unique strategies to face this crisis head-on.
In the next few months, The Harvest Journal will explore food waste policies around the world and highlight what different countries are doing to prevent and reduce waste, build more sustainable and resilient food systems, protect our planet and finally put an end to food waste.
There are few countries where food waste is processed on a larger scale as in Korea. In 2005, the government banned throwing food waste to landfills before implementing compulsory composting nationally in 2013. By 2019, a whopping 95% of Korea’s food waste was converted into fertilizer, biogas and animal feed. What’s behind the success of this system that has become a model for many in the world to follow?
An integrated and well-executed policy
Overall, Korea has an integrated and well-executed policy involving a balance of financial incentives, public participation and noncompliance enforcement. Investments in supporting infrastructure reflect the government’s priority and commitment to tackling waste.
The efficient waste management system goes together with awareness and education campaigns to tackle food waste at the source. For example, restaurants are encouraged to serve fewer and smaller side dishes to reduce leftovers from a typical traditional meal, while bars offer different menus for standard and small food quantities. By keeping track of their monthly garbage collection bill, people become mindful of their consumption and adjust their habits accordingly.
In a Seoul suburb, biogas recycled from liquid food waste is used to heat 3,000 homes in the area. Meanwhile, solid scraps are processed into nutrition supplements for livestock—this saves money and farmland needed to grow crops for animal feed. Fertilizers made from food waste are given away to support farmers and urban farm initiatives.
A tax on food waste
Korea practices a “Pay-as-You-Waste” scheme, where residents are charged based on the weight of their food waste. An average four-person family only pays around $6 per month.
How to dispose of food waste in Korea
In biodegradable bags: You can only dispose of food in designated bags sold in grocery stores in different sizes and prices.
Stickers: Purchase food waste stickers in grocery stores and attach them to specific bins distributed by the government when you throw out your food. The garbage collectors will not empty the bin if they don’t see the stickers.
Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) technology: Bins installed with an electric scale and RFID weigh food waste as it’s deposited. The bin will only open if a person scans their household identification card. At the end of the month, they will be informed of the charges.
As nearly 80% of food waste is moisture, households are encouraged to squeeze out the liquid before depositing their waste to reduce its weight. This also helps the city save on transportation costs.
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