Kroger, Albertsons to donate 10 billion meals over 10 years post-merger

Following the acquisition of Albertsons Cos., The Kroger Co. aims donate 10 billion meals by 2030 to help feed food-insecure people.

Cincinnati-based Kroger said Thursday that the effort is part of its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan, which aims to end hunger in communities it serves and eliminate food waste companywide by 2025.

Kroger launched Zero Hunger | Zero Waste in September 2017 (and its supporting public charity, the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, in 2018). At the time, the company committed to donating 3 billion meals by 2025, yet Kroger said that goal was reached in the first quarter of 2023.

Kroger’s planned merger with Albertsons, now in the antitrust review phase, was announced in October 2022. The $24.6 billion deal—joining the nation’s first- and second-largest supermarket retailers—would create a company with annual revenue of about $210 billion and 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 3,972 pharmacies, 2,015 fuel centers and 710,000 workers in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The two retailers expect the deal to close in early 2024.

The combined resources of Kroger and Albertsons augur a broader commitment to eliminating hunger in communities across the country, Kroger noted. Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons has set similar meal donation goals—1 billion meals by 2030—as part of its Recipe for Change ESG program and recently announced $9 million in Nourishing Neighbors Innovation Spark Grants to nonprofits addressing food insecurity.

“Our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan is centered around connecting people to the food they need to thrive,” Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement. “We believe food should serve its highest purpose—powering healthy lives. Today, we feed others through daily store donations of surplus fresh food for local food banks, charitable giving to organizations focused on feeding people, and coalitions of action to achieve our mission. Together, Kroger and Albertsons Cos. will be able to do much more for our communities than we can do separately.”

Ten billion meals represents enough food to feed every person in the cities of Seattle, Denver, Chicago and Boston “every meal, every day, for nearly two years,” according to Kroger. The company noted that its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative stems from “a fundamental absurdity” in the U.S. food chain: 40% of food goes to waste every year, yet one in eight people struggle with hunger.

The new target of providing 10 billion meals over 10 years—from 2021 to 2030—will be achieved by melding the best of both companies’ processes, including operational excellence, strategic charitable giving and other areas, Kroger said. The company added that it also will continue to expand participation in the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Food Rescue program, evaluate increasing the number of items eligible for safe donation, and encourage more customers to participate in food security efforts.
 
“We are incredibly proud of the work our teams do every day to reduce food insecurity in our local communities and help ensure all our neighbors have access to a nutritious meal,” Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran stated. “Combining our capabilities with Kroger will allow the combined company to set even more ambitious goals and make an even bigger difference in the communities we proudly serve.”