The City Missions of Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro

Stadsmissionerna (The City Missions) in Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro are part of Sweden’s City Missions network, supporting people who experience different forms of social exclusion. They offer a wide range of services and activities for people in vulnerable life situations, including housing integration projects, open daytime activities and food banks. Kavli Trust supports their work with a total of NOK 2.5 million, making it possible to double the capacity of their food banks. After the first year, the results have been very positive.

About the project

As the owner of the Kavli Group, Kavli Trust also owns Kavli Sweden. The foundation supports a range of good causes in Sweden, and the establishment of food banks is a key part of this work.

Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro Stadsmissioner are local branches of Sveriges Stadsmissioner (“Sweden’s City Missions”, the umbrella organisation for City Missions in Sweden), and are all located within the Mälardalen region of central Sweden. They provide support to people experiencing social exclusion throughout the country, offering a wide range of services and activities for people in vulnerable life situations, including housing integration projects, open daytime activities, and food banks.

Food waste in Swedish retail, wholesale and industry exceeds 100,000 tonnes per year. According to a 2021 study carried out by Sweden’s City Missions with support from Kavli Trust, annual food waste in the Mälardalen region alone amounts to around 11,300 tonnes.

At the same time, 6.9% of the population were living in financially vulnerable situations and were often forced to cut back on essential food purchases, according to Sweden’s City Missions Poverty Report 2022. The City Missions in Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro run the food banks to help reduce food waste and tackle food poverty.

Expanded operations

In 2021, the food banks in Mälardalen redistributed 150 tonnes of food, providing for around 1,000 people each week. In 2022, these figures rose to 345 tonnes and 1,750 people.

"It feels fantastic that after just the first year of the project we are already seeing such positive results – providing more food to more people living in financial vulnerability, while reducing food waste," says project manager Anne Lunde Dinesen.

The surplus food, which would otherwise have gone to waste, primarily comes from grocery stores and is redirected to the City Missions’ operations, where people in vulnerable situations can pick up a food parcel or enjoy a meal.

During the first year of the project, the supply of food to the food banks increased thanks to the City Missions’ targeted efforts to secure more surplus food from wholesalers and the industrial sector.

Every week, over 600 households collect a food parcel, and the City Missions in Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro serve 400 meals weekly.

Growing demand for food support

The demand for food assistance is rising in Sweden. According to a 2021 study by Sweden’s City Missions, there is significant potential to expand the food banks in Mälardalen and redistribute even more surplus food.

For this reason, the City Missions in Eskilstuna, Västerås and Örebro are receiving NOK 2.5 million to further develop the food banks, double the amount of food redistributed, and reduce food waste in the region during 2022–2023.

"Kavli Trust’s funding strategy focuses on projects that contribute to climate and environmental goals, particularly in responsible consumption and production. The important work of the food banks in rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted fits perfectly with this strategy," says Guro Hjetland Sundsby, responsible for grant allocations at Kavli Trust.

"Through the three strong City Mission organisations, the support contributes to environmentally smart solutions while helping people experiencing food poverty in the region," Sundsby adds.

"For 60 years, Kavli Sweden has donated all its profits to good causes through our owner, Kavli Trust," says Jonny Mattsson, CEO of Kavli Sweden, noting that 2022 marked 60 years since Knut Kavli founded Kavli Trust and made it the sole owner of the Kavli Group.

"Kavli Sweden aims to produce tasty and nutritious food for everyone. But in today’s society, there are unfortunately marginalised groups who cannot afford to buy products from Kavli or other food producers. Supporting the City Missions’ food banks allows us to use our surplus to feed people in these groups while also fighting food waste. For us as a food producer, this is especially rewarding," says Mattsson.

Increasing volume

In 2023, the City Missions in Mälardalen will continue developing an efficient regional structure for receiving and distributing surplus food, with a particular focus on increasing volumes from wholesalers and suppliers. Kavli Trust funding will also finance a coordinator role to manage incoming deliveries and ensure the food reaches the three food banks.

Lessons learned from this project will be central to developing a national logistics solution connecting all ten of the City Missions’ food banks.