$8,000,000 in funding secured to reduce food waste and fight hunger in New Brunswick
Fredericton, NB – Greener Village CEO Alex Boyd marked the start of construction on the Thrive Perishable Food Rescue Centre today, an idea born in 2018 when a tractor trailer load of carrots delivered to Greener Village highlighted the lack of resources to effectively distribute fresh produce to clients. 1 in 4 New Brunswickers face food insecurity, a reality Boyd sees every day at Greener Village, where demand has more than doubled since COVID.
Boyd notes that taking on Greener Village’s first Capital Campaign was daunting, but early investments from the McCain Foundation, Weston Family Foundation and Food Banks Canada helped secure additional funding and support. Funding from Federal, Provincial and Local Governments was also secured, helping create a sustainable solution to reduce food waste, strengthen local agriculture and address food insecurity with healthful, fresh-frozen food. Partnering with FeedNB to leverage their existing trucking network will further enhance sustainability, and will elevate the local content for all Food Banks in New Brunswick.
The federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is contributing $732,000 to support renovations to the existing learning kitchen, increase energy efficiencies, and create a working entrepreneurial commercial kitchen that will support local businesses and entrepreneurs.
In addition to monthly grocery boxes, Greener Village also operates the Unique Boutique thrift shop, Community Gardens and Learning Kitchen to support client self-sufficiency. The expanded Kitchen now hosts up to 24 clients per class, produces weekly Budget Bites videos and produces around 300 loaves of bread each Monday to give out to clients that week.
Greener Village has been developing partnerships with local farmers to provide produce for the Centre. Food Banks Canada has supported this by adding a Procurement Specialist based in New Brunswick to work alongside Greener Village in securing these partners. The PFRC is expected to be operational by Fall 2026, and the reformatted Kitchen will allow for increased food production for client distribution.
“We couldn’t be more excited to see the start of construction on our Perishable Food Rescue Centre. We’re truly grateful to all of the volunteers, partners and investors over the last few years who saw the vision and the impact this Centre will have on ending food insecurity.”
Alex Boyd, CEO, Greener Village
“Food Banks Canada is honoured to support Greener Village with such an innovative and impactful project. Our vision is for a Canada where no one goes hungry, and this means helping food banks and their communities with influential projects like this.”
Kirsten Beardsley, CEO, Food Banks Canada
“We are proud to work collaboratively with community partners and across all levels of government to deliver affordable local produce to New Brunswickers. This innovative approach by Greener Village will help New Brunswick families see more local produce on their dinner tables. By partnering with local agriculture producers and growing that network, this project will help New Brunswickers thrive.”
Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick
“Greener Village continues to demonstrate the power of local leadership in advancing food security, strengthening the food supply, and supporting our local entrepreneurs. Their approach of combining access to nutritious food, education and sustainability aligns with the Government of Canada’s shared commitment to building resilient, inclusive communities.”
David Myles, Member of Parliament for Fredericton – Oromocto, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, P.C., K.C., Member of Parliament for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
About Greener Village:
From humble beginnings as a Food Pantry in 1983, today Greener Village provides More Than Meals for 2,200 clients per month. Now one of the largest food and social services organizations in the province, Greener Village offers the Unique Boutique, Community Gardens, Learning Kitchen and seasonal programs such as Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, Backpack and Basics and Angel Tree. The addition of the Perishable Food Rescue Centre will reduce food waste by rescuing produce to process, freeze and distribute to food banks across New Brunswick.
Media Interviews & Inquiries:
Erin Pelerine
Director of Development & Communications
Greener Village
506-478-3821
Samantha Michaud
Senior Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
