Triple Bottom Line: Retail Perspectives on Nutritious Food Donations
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Affording food has become increasingly challenging for many households, and at the same time food banks are experiencing a greater demand for their services. Food retailers remain a critical partner in responding to this need, donating the largest share (35 percent) of food distributed through food banks and pantries. However, retailers must balance the triple bottom line of profit, people, and the planet while facing cost and operational pressures. These competing factors shape how retail food donation programs are implemented and sustained.
Many food banks and pantries are requesting donations of foods that support health. More than 100 food banks have adopted the Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System and are prioritizing sourcing and supplying more nutritious foods. There is limited research on the barriers and facilitators to healthy food donations from retailers, including the operational realities that shape donation decisions, how retailers view requests to prioritize donating healthier foods, and what strategies have helped retailers increase healthful donations.
To explore these questions, we interviewed nine corporate- and three store-level retail professionals across eight grocery companies with experience in food donation programs from the Mid-Atlantic region. Interviews covered food donation practices, priorities, challenges, and innovations. This report provides practical insights from those conversations to advance both business and community goals for food donations, including improving access to nutritious foods.
Key findings
- Donation Drivers
- Food donation is embedded within broader corporate priorities related to sustainability, operations, waste reduction, and community impact
- State and local food waste policies can prompt retailers to strengthen food donation practices across their operations, extending beyond the jurisdictions where the policies apply
- Retailers prioritize maximizing food donation volume, with limited emphasis on nutritional quality
- Food safety and quality shape decisions, especially for perishable food donations
- Operational Limitations
- The frequency, consistency, and timing of donation pickups and availability of cold storage are critical factors
- Understaffing and staff turnover create continual challenges with program consistency
- Training, clear guidance, and prioritization from leadership are needed to support consistent donation decisions
- Relationships with Food Banks/Pantries
- Strong retailer-food bank/pantry relationships improve coordination, trust, and donation outcomes
- Food banks were viewed as well positioned to coordinate retail donations across local partner agencies, including helping redistribute excess food and ensure donations are fully utilized
- Practices That Support Successful Food Donation Programs
- Technology, data systems, and performance metrics strengthen accountability and identify opportunities for improvement, although none of the retailers interviewed tracked nutritional quality
- Embedding food donation into routine operations and connecting employees to its community impact strengthens long-term program sustainability
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