Health food company, Red Tractor, and ALDI Australia have joined forces to support food relief agency, Foodbank Australia, with a campaign to help reduce food insecurity. The “Buy One, Give One” initiative will see Red Tractor donate a 1.6-kilogram bag of oats to Foodbank, for every bag of equivalent size sold in ALDI. The campaign starts on 17 July.
Red Tractor CEO, Andrew Loader, said the goal is to provide more than thee million meals in the next two weeks alone.
According to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, the cost-of-living crisis is the number one reason many Australian households struggle to meet their food needs. More than half (60 per cent) of food insecure households include someone who is employed, while 77 per cent of households experiencing food insecurity did so for the first time in the past year. In increasing number of people in younger age groups, employed individuals, or those with mid to high incomes are experiencing food insecurity.
Foodbank, Australia’s largest food relief organisation, plays a crucial role in providing food assistance to more than one million people every month.
Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said the cost-of-living crisis was pushing Australians’ need for food relief to unprecedented levels. In 2023, the organisation sourced 51 million kilograms of food and groceries, the equivalent of 92 million meals, for households experiencing food insecurity.
Casey said the collaborative support from Red Tractor and ALDI was invaluable to the work of the food relief organisation.
Loader said Red Tractor recognised the urgency of the situation and pledged to donate 130 tonnes of oats to Foodbank to support vulnerable households this winter.
“Our Red Tractor brand supports a simple healthy life, and this new campaign means that millions of Australians will receive a healthy winter meal during these challenging times. We are proud to support Foodbank and ALDI in this initiative to help those dealing with food insecurity every day,” Loader said.
ALDI Australia buying director of Breakfast Products, Daniel Quinlan, said the company had been supporting Foodbank for more than 10 years.
“We are certainly supportive when our supplier partners share our vision of the importance of giving back to those in the community that need it. Foodbank do incredibly important work, and we’re proud to support Red Tractor in this initiative with their oats featured in our famous Special Buys from 17 July 2024 says.
“Customers who pick up these oats from our middle aisle can feel even better about their purchase, knowing that they have contributed to the goal of providing nutritious meals to Australians in need,” Quinlan said.
“We know so many households are doing it tough right now. This campaign is going to allow many Aussies to start the day right with a bowl of Australian-grown oats.
“I just want to say on behalf of the Foodbank family, thank you. to Red Tractor, ALDI and the community for the support which will make a significant difference to the lives of many Australians struggling to put a meal on the table this winter,” Casey said.
Red Tractor Oats 1.6kg will be available in ALDI stores nationwide from 17th July 2024, while stocks last. You can read more about the campaign here.
