Gay Lea Foods to provide 3.6 million meals to food insecure Canadians through expanded partnership with Second Harvest

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited ("Gay Lea Foods") today announced it has partnered with Second Harvest, Canada's largest food rescue organization, to address two of the most urgent challenges facing Canadians today: food insecurity and food waste.

As part of a three-year, $1.2 million charitable commitment, the Canadian dairy farmer-owned co-operative will help Second Harvest recover and redistribute surplus, nutritious food to communities in need. The partnership will provide the equivalent of 3.6 million meals to Canadians facing food insecurity across the country in the next 36 months.

"Gay Lea Foods has a long history of supporting Canadian communities, and we are proud to deepen our commitment through this transformative national partnership with Second Harvest," said Suzanna Dalrymple, President & CEO, Gay Lea Foods. "Together, we can help put good food on more plates and reduce the amount of edible food ending up in landfills across our country."

Second Harvest rescues good, surplus food from across the supply chain and redistributes it to a network of more than 5,000 non-profits across the country in pursuit of their mission: No Waste. No Hunger. Last year alone, the organization rescued more than 87 million pounds of food.

The partnership between Second Harvest and Gay Lea Foods began in 1997, when the co-operative first began providing surplus product for redistribution as part of Second Harvest's Food Rescue program. 

"This expanded partnership with Gay Lea Foods shows just how much impact purpose-driven businesses can have," said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. "By providing both funding and surplus product, Gay Lea Foods is helping us get nutritious, high-quality food — like dairy — into communities that really need it, while also keeping good food out of landfills."

Today's announcement marks a significant step forward in the partnership between Gay Lea Foods and Second Harvest. In addition to its financial contribution, Gay Lea Foods will send even more surplus product from production sites across Canada to non-profit organizations through Second Harvest. This deepened collaboration will help ensure nutritious dairy products reach the communities that need them most, while reducing food waste and supporting families facing food insecurity.

Learn more about the partnership here.

About Gay Lea Foods

Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,400 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.

About Second Harvest

Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue organization and a global thought leader on food waste and perishable food redistribution. It rescues unsold surplus food from thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain to redistribute it to non-profits in every province and territory. This prevents harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere while improving access to nutrition for millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity. Beyond food rescue and redistribution, Second Harvest is deeply involved in advocacy, research, training and education. Its groundbreaking reports, such as "The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste," provide critical data and insights to inform public policy and educate the public on sustainable food systems.

Second Harvest is committed to driving systemic change, helping to shape policies and practices that reduce food waste and address its role in climate change, while also supporting communities by providing them with the food they need.

SOURCE Second Harvest

Media Contacts: Robin Redstone, Director, Communications, Gay Lea Foods, [email protected]; Giao Chau, Director of Communications Second Harvest [email protected]