Chipotle, Farmlink Project team up to fight food insecurityFast Casual

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is teaming up with the Farmlink Project and TikTok Chef Nick Digiovanni to help fight food insecurity this winter.

The goal is to donate more than 10 million pounds of produce to food banks with an ultimate goal of hitting 20 million pounds, according to a press release.

DiGiovanni will help reveal Chipotle’s honey vinaigrette recipe if the effort hits the top goal. Chipotle customers can help by rounding up on the app and Chipotle.com as well as donating rewards points to support the Farmlink Project. The brand will match point donations through Jan. 31.

“Chipotle is a clear restaurant leader in local sourcing, buying over 35 million pounds of local produce in the last year alone,” Chris Brandt, Chipotle CMO, said in the release. “We are proud to partner with The Farmlink Project to help them deliver fresh produce to food banks and help feed those in need this winter.”

The Farmlink Project was founded by college students during the pandemic and is a a grassroots movement that connects farms with food banks to fight food waste and hunger while supporting essential jobs. DiGiovanni is the organization’s lead ambassador.

More than 33 million Americans live with food insecurity which is defined by a lack of consistent, reliable access to enough food for an active, healthy life, food insecurity is a critical issue nationwide, according to the release.

This fall, Chipotle helped The Farmlink Project donate 185,000 pounds of food to Fort Myers to support Hurricane Ian relief. Since Chipotle started to support The Farmlink Project in 2020, the partnership has enabled the donation of more than 40 million pounds of produce to communities in need across the U.S.