Will Prepare 40,000 Free Meals a Month for People in Need from Surplus Food

Kavli Trust has granted Kirkens Bymisjon (Church City Mission) NOK 4.8 million to establish a new production kitchen in Sandnes. The project will both reduce food waste and provide support to vulnerable groups, while offering work training for young people currently out of employment.

Each year, the project will rescue around 220 tonnes of surplus food that would otherwise be discarded in the region, transforming it into approximately 440,000 nutritious meals to be distributed to people in challenging life situations.

At the same time, in collaboration with NAV (Norway’s Labour and Welfare Administration), the initiative will provide work training for 20–25 young adults annually, with the goal of helping them remain in employment or enter education.

The funding for the production kitchen is part of Kavli Trust’s strategic focus on promoting responsible consumption, recycling, and resource reuse to benefit both climate and the environment.

“In addition, it also contributes to our other priority area: strengthening children and young people’s mental health by promoting life skills, inclusion, and education,” says Rune Mørland, Grants Manager at Kavli Trust, who attended the official opening of the kitchen last week.

“Perhaps the most moving moment at the opening was Jone’s story – his journey from substance abuse to steady employment, while now also starting his studies,” Mørland adds.

"The production kitchen opens up new opportunities and will also enable Matsentralen to rescue significantly more food from being wasted," says Rune Mørland.

Once the ingredients have been turned into high-quality, nutritious meals, they will be distributed free of charge through various services for vulnerable groups via the food banks in Stavanger, Bergen, and Kristiansand.

"Here we also see the long-term positive effects of previous strategic investments by Kavli Trust," notes Mørland, referring to Kavli Trust’s support for the establishment of all the food banks in Norway.

Read more: How Kavli Trust has supported the establishment of food banks in three countries

A Holistic Solution to Multiple Social Challenges

Mørland emphasises how the project combines food rescue, free meals with high nutritional value, work training, and life skills development for young people, creating lasting positive impacts for both individuals and society by:

• reducing climate impact and food waste
• promoting health and quality of life for vulnerable groups
• strengthening social and economic sustainability in the region

"This is a fantastic example of how a single, holistic solution can help tackle several major social challenges at once. We look forward to following the project and hope it can serve as a model for similar initiatives both nationally and internationally," concludes Rune Mørland.

Key Facts About the Grant

• Recipient: Kirkens Bymisjon (Church City Mission)
• Project: Production Kitchen in Sandnes
• Grant: NOK 4.8 million
• Project Period: 2025
• Purpose: To reduce food waste, promote social inclusion, and improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups through the establishment of a production kitchen in Sandnes.
• Other key project partners include Matsentralen, NAV (Norway’s Labour and Welfare Administration), NorgesGruppen’s Sustainability Fund HANDLE, and Sparebanken Vest.

About Kirkens Bymisjon

• Founded: 1855
• Operations: Nationwide non-profit organisation working to include and support people in vulnerable life situations.
• Main Goal: To create a warmer and more just society through social initiatives and inclusion projects.
• Areas of Work: Food distribution, healthcare services, housing, work training, and leisure activities.
• Philosophy: “Room for All” – an inclusive society where everyone has a place.