Second Harvest opens Toronto processing facility to combat food waste

Second Harvest, one of Canada’s largest food-rescue nonprofits, is opening a new processing facility in Etobicoke, Toronto, to combat food waste and insecurity. The organization estimates that Canada wastes approximately 46.5% of its food.

Operating as a social enterprise, the facility will work with local farmers to provide prepared fruits and vegetables to 28,000 students. Revenue generated from product sales will be reinvested into Second Harvest’s programming. In partnership with the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, the initiative aims to deliver packaged vegetables to more than 440 schools in Toronto this school year, reducing the preparation burden on student-nutrition programs.

Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, noted that the launch aligns with the federal government’s National Food Security Strategy, which prioritizes domestic food-processing capacity and food-system resilience. Catherine Parsonage, CEO of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, highlighted that the initiative will make nutritious foods like celery and carrot sticks more accessible to students facing food insecurity due to rising prices.