Food rescue and relief sector charities SecondBite and FareShare have announced they will merge from July 1, 2024.

The merger will combine the community-led culture of FareShare with the national scale and reach of SecondBite. It follows many years of collaboration at Board, executive and operational levels – including a longstanding commitment by SecondBite to supply ingredients with which FareShare cooks meals for SecondBite to distribute through its network.

Economies of scale and supply chain optimisation were cited as key benefits of the merger, providing a greater volume and diversity of food to a wider area.

“We will have the ability to reduce the number of food insecure Australians, enabling them to achieve improved physical and mental wellbeing, and be best placed to reach their potential,” said SecondBite Daniel Moorfield, CEO.

“By combining each organisation’s strengths it will enable growth and the ability to support communities in need, resulting in a greater supply of food, as well as a more tailored approach, where the need is greatest.”

Founded in 2001, FareShare operates Australia’s largest non-profit kitchens in Melbourne and Brisbane, where chefs transform rescued and donated food, as well as produce grown on their own farms, into millions of delicious, nutritious meals for people in need. The meals are given away free to frontline charities.

Founded in 2005, SecondBite works with farmers, retailers and manufacturers to harness surplus quality produce, providing it to more than 1000 charity partners supporting their communities experiencing food insecurity. The combined entity will be called SecondBite, while retaining the FareShare brand.

The new Board will include co-chairs from both board with equal representation on a transitional Board. The merger also has the support of the two major retailers Coles and Woolworths. A review of current infrastructure is likely to result in the some consolidation of assets, including expansion in states where FareShare does not currently operate.

OPINION: Great to see charities exploring mergers to make a bigger impact together and how they worked through the compromises needed to transition. Sometimes this can be really difficult as this is also the time to make tough calls to realise those synergies. One to watch and learn.