CAFRE and FareShare NI Collaborate to Combat Food Waste in Northern Ireland

Zita McNaugher, Food Technologist at CAFRE, is helping FareShare NI tackle the problem of food surplus by developing recipes using fresh vegetables to extend product life and usability.   

Food Technologists at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) are working in partnership with FareShare NI, operated by Homeless Connect, in a targeted initiative to tackle Northern Ireland’s food waste crisis and support communities experiencing food poverty.

According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), over 10 million tonnes of food from the UK’s agri-food supply chain are wasted every year, with a significant portion of this food still being perfectly edible.

In Northern Ireland, FareShare NI plays a vital role in redistributing good quality, surplus food from manufacturers and retailers to community groups, homeless shelters, and schools. However, the charity sometimes receives large quantities of perishable items—primarily fresh fruits and vegetables—that are difficult to distribute before reaching the end of their shelf life.

To address this challenge, CAFRE Food Technologist Zita McNaugher is leading efforts at the Loughry Campus Food Innovation Centre in Cookstown to transform these surplus goods into longer-lasting food products.

“I was surprised by the volume of surplus food received by FareShare NI and immediately saw the potential to develop products that would extend the shelf life of the fresh produce by using simple food processing techniques,” said McNaugher.

The project has already seen promising developments, with surplus vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots and onions being turned into nutritious sauce recipes. These sauces are designed to be easily incorporated into meals for families and groups supported by FareShare NI.

Importantly, they also offer a practical solution to reduce edible food waste while improving access to healthy food options.

CAFRE’s innovative approach aims to support FareShare NI in securing a local food manufacturer to produce and package the sauces. This will allow for efficient distribution to the network of charities, schools, and community organisations that currently benefit from the charity’s services.

This partnership not only exemplifies a practical and scalable approach to managing surplus food, but also reinforces Northern Ireland’s commitment to sustainability, food security, and community wellbeing.

To learn more about how CAFRE can help businesses reduce food waste and improve circularity in the agri-food sector, visit: www.cafre.ac.uk/food/land-use-and-circularity