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.
What We Do
- 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.
Food Collection
The Food Collection is a day of solidarity during which everyone can help in the simplest way possible—by donating non-perishable food and household goods.
It is organized in all regions by food banks and the Czech Federation of Food Banks in cooperation with the Union of Trade and Tourism and the Association for Social Responsibility, along with social partners such as Charita Czech Republic, Diakonie, The Salvation Army, NADĚJE, and Slezská diakonie, as well as retail chains such as Albert, Billa, COOP, dm drogerie markt, Globus, Kaufland, Lidl, MAKRO, Penny Market, ROSSMANN, Tesco, Teta drogerie, Rohlik.cz, and Košík.cz.
For more information, visit www.sbirkapotravin.cz.
We received awards
We are members
Our History
The origins of food banks in the Czech Republic date back to 1992, when Ilja Hradecký, M.A., now an honorary member of the Czech Federation of Food Banks, founded the first food bank. Two years later, the Czech Federation of Food Banks was also established. At that time, the food bank operated as part of the nonprofit organization Naděje, which collected and stored food and then distributed it to other nonprofit organizations. At that time, a network of regional food banks had not yet been established.
A significant development occurred in 2004, when other nonprofit organizations—such as the Salvation Army, ADRA, and Charita ČR—were approached to participate in establishing food banks in other regions. In March 2005, a general meeting was held at which participants agreed to revive and further develop the food bank concept. At the same time, it was necessary to secure funding for operations, storage space and equipment, food suppliers, and a network of recipient organizations.
On March 30, 2006, the first warehouse in Prague was officially opened in the presence of the ambassadors of the United States and France. Subsequently, the network of food banks began to gradually expand into other regions. Following Prague, the Ostrava Food Bank was established, and this was followed by food banks in the Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, and Vysočina regions.