DACHSER becomes logistics partner to Tafel Deutschland
The partners plan to use professional logistics structures to generate more food donations for Tafel food banks.
Logistics provider DACHSER and Tafel Deutschland, an umbrella organization of food banks throughout Germany, have signed a cooperation agreement that will run until the end of 2027. As part of the collaboration, DACHSER will use the expertise and network of its Food Logistics business line to collect food donations from manufacturers and deliver them to the central distribution points of Tafel’s regional units.
DACHSER will also aid the food banks in setting up efficient logistics structures. As the third pillar of the collaboration, DACHSER will help Tafel’s regional units expand their networks and widen the arrangements they have in place with food manufacturers in order to save even more food from going to waste. The new collaboration launched operations on March 1 with Tafel’s arm in the German state of Hesse.
Logistics helps food banks generate more food donations and get them to where they are needed more efficiently.
Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at DACHSERThere are more than 970 food banks in Germany, which rescue around 265,000 metric tons of food every year and distribute it locally to around 1.6 million people experiencing poverty. To this end, the food banks’ 75,000 workers, most of whom are volunteers, regularly visit local supermarkets, bakeries, and other grocery stores to collect food and everyday goods that are still perfectly safe for consumption but can no longer be sold.
Logistics expertise and sales contacts increase the volume of donations
“In keeping with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we want to cut food waste in half here in Germany by 2030, but there are still massive surpluses along the entire value chain,” explains Andreas Steppuhn, Chairman of Tafel Deutschland e.V. “In contrast to retailers, the food banks do not yet work with food manufacturers across the board, as we need other logistics structures for this. We have been building these up for years. With DACHSER at our side, we can further optimize our infrastructure, especially in terms of IT systems and transport capacities. This is because manufacturers handle larger quantities at once than a single supermarket. It must be possible to distribute this food quickly to several food banks.”
This is where DACHSER’s collaboration with the food banks comes in. With 30 branches and around 10 million shipments transported each year, DACHSER Food Logistics is one of the market leaders for temperature-controlled food transportation in Germany. The partnership with Tafel will let the food banks use the business line’s established contacts and processes with food manufacturers. DACHSER’s sales teams will help connect manufacturers and Tafel’s regional units, and DACHSER Food Logistics will collect the donations and distribute them to the food banks’ central depots. To support the food banks in acquiring and handling the logistics for manufacturers’ preferred quantities, DACHSER is contributing expertise and financial support until the end of 2027. The logistics partnership was initiated by the former Managing Director Food Logistics at DACHSER, Alfred Miller, who now volunteers his time and logistics expertise in advising and supporting Tafel Deutschland.
“Logistics helps food banks generate more food donations and get them to where they are needed more efficiently,” says Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at DACHSER. “This is our entrepreneurial core competence, which we can put to ideal use in supporting this important social task. We look forward to partnering with Tafel Deutschland.”
