A look back at Starbucks hunger relief efforts across Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2024 

According to the WHO, 1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023. Starbucks is working to help by enabling green apron partners to take action in their communities, inviting customers to give back and strengthening the role local food banks have in food rescue efforts.  

Since the launch of the Global Community Impact Grants program in 2022, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants to over 150 nonprofits across 60 markets. In EMEA this year, 28 grants were awarded across 16 countries, to support hunger relief, among other priorities. 

As we wrap up 2024, we want to celebrate the great work our partners do across the region, through volunteering and donations to support hunger and disaster relief efforts within their local communities. 

World Central Kitchen 

In April, The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Starbucks committed to providing the equivalent of 1 million meals to people in need in Gaza through a joint donation of $3 million to World Central Kitchen in March. To expand our support from the region, Alshaya Group and Starbucks EMEA has launched a partner (employee) donation matching initiative aimed at raising additional funds for food aid in Gaza through World Central Kitchen.  

In November, World Central Kitchen showed up in Paiporta, Valencia, after severe flooding in the area this autumn. Due to Starbucks ongoing support, the charity was able to prepare delicious paella for residents in need. 

World Central Kitchen has been a primary disaster relief partner of The Starbucks Foundation since 2019, and with the support of The Starbucks Foundation, has spearheaded dozens of hunger relief operations, delivering aid to impacted communities in all corners of the globe, such as Lebanon and Morocco.  

Too Good To Go 

In 12 countries across EMEA including the UK, France and Germany, Starbucks partners with Too Good To Go, the social impact company behind the world's largest marketplace for surplus food. In 2024, 1850 Starbucks stores sold over ~1.5 million surplus meals through the Too Good To Go partnership, helping to tackle food waste in the communities we serve.

Food Banks in Italy

In Italy, the Milan Roastery and our licensed partner Percassi have supported two Italian food banks: Banco Alimentare and Pane Quotidiano. Both non-profit organisations have received financial contributions through the Global Community Impact Grants from the Starbucks Foundation. Banco Alimentare received funding in FY22 and FY24 with further collaboration plans in 2025. Pane Quotidiano received a grant in FY23, and from January to July 2024, 21 Milan Roastery partners and 31 Percassi partners volunteered a total of 186 hours to give back to their local communities.  

Food Sharing Day in AmRest 

In Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Serbia, our licensed partner AmRest celebrated their annual Food Sharing Day, a global initiative where meals are shared with non-profit organizations that care for children. Our teams celebrated a day full of joy, encouraging all partners (employees) to volunteer and show their gratitude for our local communities. This initiative has taken place every year since 2021 on the fourth Thursday of November, and we look forward to celebrating it next year. 

Action Against Hunger in Spain 

In Spain, our licensed partner Alsea Iberia has been running a local hunger relief campaign since 2019 in partnership with Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organisation committed to ending world hunger. Donations are made through the 1x2 Project: any product nearing its expiration date is sold at a 50% discount one hour before closing to prevent waste. This partnership aims to fight against food waste and support an organization in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.