Our Activity

The Czech Federation of Food Banks is a nonprofit organization that oversees a network of fifteen regional food banks in the Czech Republic. It coordinates their activities at both the national and international levels, supports their development, represents their interests, and operates a central warehouse for receiving and distributing nationwide donations. It also ensures compliance with the principles of The European Food Banks Federation Charter.

Regional food banks are independent nonprofit organizations. They obtain food and basic material aid from retail chains, growers, manufacturers, food drives, European aid programs, and individuals. This often includes food with an approaching expiration date, damaged packaging, or incorrect labeling that would otherwise end up as waste. Generally, there is one food bank per region.

• We rescue unsellable food.
• We help people in need.
• We run the Food Collection, the largest food drive in the Czech Republic.
• We provide assistance during sudden crises and humanitarian disasters.
• We operate the largest logistics center for food aid in the Czech Republic.
• We educate and guide young people toward a healthy relationship with food, anti-waste practices, and volunteerism.
• We share and connect.

The beginnings of food banks in the Czech Republic date back to 1992 when Mgr. Ilja Hradecký, the honorary member of the Czech Federation of Food Banks, founded the first food bank in the Czech Republic and two years later the federation. This concept worked more in the form of food storage for the non-profit organization "Naděje" and redistribution to other organizations. Therefore, no association of different entities would occur. This concept also did not spread further to other regions.

In 2004, charitable and social bodies were approached that could establish a new food bank (Sdružení azylových domů, Armáda spásy, Adra, Naděje, and Charita).

A general meeting was held in March 2005, at which the participants agreed to renew the concept from 1992. Of course, some financial support, storage equipment, warehouse, food suppliers, and finally the partner charitable organizations themselves had to be obtained. A year later, on March 30, 2006, a warehouse was opened in Prague with the participation of two ambassadors from the USA and France. Another task for the representatives of the Czech Federation of Food Banks was to spread awareness about food banks to other regions. The Ostrava Food Bank was established as the second food bank, followed by the Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, and Vysočina regions.