Sustainability

Foodari works hard to be a responsible and sustainable supplier, where customers can be assured of our commitment in reducing the environmental impact of our business.

Our ethos is to continuously improve our 'Green Policy', with innovative eco-friendly ideas and adopting sustainable practices such as reducing waste, using energy-efficient products, investing in renewable energy sources, and encouraging recycling. We also have adopted a corporate social responsibility policy to positively impact our local community, by working with local charities through food donations, partnerships and supplying surplus produce.

Locally Supplied Produce

Foodari always prioritises food produce that is local and in season. This commitment helps keep our food miles, fuel use, and carbon-heavy imports to a minimum – in fact, our nearest supplier, Hares Farm in Chilham, is just three miles from our own site.

We’re proud that 55% of our suppliers are based here in Kent, with a further 20% sourced from across the UK, depending on the season.

By supporting local farms, we’re investing in our communities, backing family-run businesses, and helping to keep British agriculture thriving. Local sourcing also means our produce reaches customers faster, fresher, and with fewer emissions.

While the majority of our produce is grown close to home, we also import a number of specific foods types from trusted oversees growers such as citrus fruits, avocados, melons and pineapples. This ensures we can consistently meet the demands of our customers when not readily available from the UK. Regardless of where our produce is sourced, Foodari always guarantees full traceability, only working alongside ethical and sustainable growers who share our core values of quality and environmental responsibility.

Nature and Biodiversity

To align with our green, wildlife-friendly and sustainable principals, we introduced an extensive rewilding programme which included tree planting on the farm to help offset our carbon production. We also work with growers and producers alike, who share our environmental values.

Here are some great examples of work they do.

Newlands Farm - our wonderful apple and strawberry suppliers are LEAF-assured (Linking Environment & Farming), working to build robust eco-systems on their farm near Faversham.

Growers supplying Provenance Potatoes, use both field margins and wildflower planting for nectar and winter bird food sources to encourage biodiversity on their farms.

Oakdene, berry-growers extraordinaire, use the 'Cool Farm Tool' to monitor greenhouse gases, water and biodiversity.

The fantastic team at Betts Farm, our supplier of salad leaves, have implemented the planting of wildflower meadows for insects and bees and nesting boxes for different bird species. They have also invested in solar power and other green technologies to improve their energy efficiency.

Eating Seasonally

Eating seasonally means choosing produce when it’s naturally at its very best: full of flavour, nutrients, and freshness. Seasonal eating reduces the need for energy-intensive growing methods and long-distance imports, helping to cut emissions and protect the planet.

At Foodari, we work in harmony with the seasons, offering fruit and vegetables that celebrate the time of year, from crisp spring greens to autumn apples and vibrant summer berries. It’s better for your body, better for local growers, and better for the environment. Click here to download your seasonal chart.

Supporting Local Causes

As a growing business, we employ over 70 local people from across the South East who form our 'Team Green' and Foodari Family.

We firmly believe that being part of a local community means being socially responsible, which is why we endeavour to support local causes and charities.

Our Team Green is proud to work with a number of organisations in Kent, including Porchlight, Kent’s largest homeless charity for vulnerable people as well as donating food to The Umbrella Café in Whitstable, who are working to reduce isolation and food poverty in the community. We are also proud to support a local national charity, The Brogdale National Fruit Collection, through our Heritage Apple Box scheme.

What's more, our surplus produce goes to the wonderful Animal Rescue Retreat in High Halden, Kent.

Healthy Eating

At Foodari, we believe that eating well is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to support your health and happiness. A balanced diet filled with colourful fruits and vegetables fuels your body with essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre, helping you stay energised, focused, and feeling your best.

Following healthy eating habits, like getting your five a day, drinking plenty of water, and choosing natural, unprocessed foods, can boost immunity, improve digestion and wellbeing for the long term.

We’re here to make it easy, with fresh, high-quality produce that inspires healthy choices every day.

Recycling

We estimate that approximately 80% of our food produce arrives to us in re-useable or recyclable boxes. To help us reach 100%, we are encouraging our suppliers to look at ways of improving their packaging. We are very close to becoming completely plastic-free, but where plastic is used, we try to innovate.

Egg supplier, Woodlands in Chartham, supply their eggs to us in plastic egg boxes made entirely from recycled plastic bottles retrieved from the sea – eco-innovation at its finest.

Our own cardboard delivery boxes are all made entirely from recycled material and in addition to this, we offer a collection service for all used packaging. This is then baled at our recycling centre back at the farm.

Renewable Energy

As part of our drive for net zero, we fully recognise the need to develop a company-wide renewable energy strategy. This is why we have just installed a large state-of-the-art solar panel system that is generating enough electricity to power our warehouse and office facilities at Howletts Farm.

Each unit of solar power we generate will reduce our carbon footprint by 193g. The estimated CO2 reduction is 17,230 kg per annum.

Investing in Energy Efficiency

Foodari have recently invested in new state-of-the-art vehicles to distribute all of its fresh quality produce.

We have also heavily invested in a 'route optimising' software program that ensures our delivery routes are as short and efficient as possible.

The vehicles are Mercedes Benz 315 Sprinters, which are fitted with the latest engine technology and exhaust purification system. The refrigeration unit is a direct drive unit which works directly by using a ‘power take off’ system generated by the engine, so no additional fuel or emissions are used whilst the refrigeration unit is in operation. In addition, the boxes used are fully insulated with recycled composite material.

Championing Worldwide Initiatives

We are proud to support the Terra Carta from HRH The former Prince of Wales' Sustainable Markets Initiative which was launched in 2021.

The Terra Carta provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards an ambitious and sustainable future; one that will harness the power of nature, combined with the transformative innovation and resources of the private sector.

The global business proposition outlines ten areas for action and compromises of nearly 100 actions for business as the basis of a recovery plan, that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation.

Waste Food Upcycling

Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, burdens waste management systems and reduces biodiversity. The use of black soldier fly larvae to convert food waste into nutrient-rich insect meal in poultry diets is one strategy that we have adopted to reduce our environmental impact.

This upcycling method sees our food waste taken to be fed to adult black soldier flies, who lay eggs into specially adapted trays. After a few days, the eggs hatch into tiny neonates (baby bugs) which grow into 10mm long larvae which makes for a tasty feed our our hungry poultry.

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"We want you to be as passionate and as excited about our produce as we are"

Jonathan Parker, Managing Director