Unsold food is a central pillar of food aid. Yet its volume is falling due to several developments:
- the rapid sale of surplus products in supermarkets,
- the growth of anti‑waste apps,
- a decline in traditional donations,
- and, at times, products being offered in insufficient quality.
The result: while needs are rising, available resources are shrinking.
To address this challenge, the Restos du Cœur and the Red Cross (french speaking community) are strengthening their collaboration, with a clear objective: to recover more unsold food, of better quality, and redistribute it more efficiently.
At the Restos du Cœur, the situation is unequivocal. As Patrick Dejace, Director of the Resto du Cœur of Belgium Federation, explains:
“We now have more people to help… but less to distribute. This paradox directly strains our ability to meet needs. This collaboration is a concrete response to secure our supplies and ensure that no one is left without support.”
This partnership offers a practical response to this pressure. As Stéphanie Miraglia, Head of Food Aid at the Belgian Red Cross (french speaking community), underscores:
“Thanks to this collaboration, we hope to collect more unsold or surplus food of better quality. This will secure our supplies to meet the growing number of requests […] and provide more dignified support to beneficiaries.”
In concrete terms, companies can now offer their donations via a single, free number: 105 (Red Cross call center).
Red Cross teams (french speaking community) register the offers, while the Restos du Cœur handle the collection of products at source. These are then redistributed to the beneficiaries of both organizations via the Restos du Cœur’s logistics center and the Red Cross logistics hubs, notably in Brussels, Charleroi, Archennes, Rhisnes/Namur, and soon in Flémalle.
This system simplifies procedures for companies, reduces logistical costs, and optimises redistribution.
The aim of this project is to strengthen the capacity of Restos du Cœur and the Belgian Red Cross (french speaking community) to meet rapidly increasing needs, while ensuring highquality food aid.
By securing supplies and improving the flow of goods, this collaboration provides a more stable and better‑adapted response to realities on the ground.
Distributors, producers and wholesalers all have a crucial role to play.
Donations may include:
- fresh products,
- dry goods,
- or frozen products,
provided that the use‑by dates allow redistribution under good conditions.
In a context of growing hardship, every donation counts.
Behind every redistributed unsold item, there are meals, food parcels, and people who can continue to cope with daily life.
The challenge is a collective one: without mobilisation, some forms of aid simply cannot be maintained.
