Carnival Corporation and Costa Cruises have expanded the 4GOODFOOD program to include Palma de Mallorca and Valencia as the 15th and 16th ports to benefit from this initiative, according to a press release.
Launched in 2017 in collaboration with the food bank charity Fondazione Banco Alimentare, the food program donates “ready-to-eat” meals prepared onboard that are not served in the ships’ dining areas. The program has donated over 300,000 meals so far.
During Climate Week NYC, Jan Swartz, executive vice president of strategic operations for Carnival Corporation, shared the company’s progress in reducing food waste, surpassing its 2025 target by cutting 42 percent compared to 2019 levels.
“One of the many ways we create unforgettable happiness for our guests is through world-class food and dining experiences on our ships,” said Swartz. “We are committed to doing this responsibly, and we rely on the dedication and creativity of our 160,000 talented team members who constantly find new ways to reduce food waste from our operations, often while enhancing the guest experience.”
“Our goal is to have less uneaten food and, with the remaining food, find ways to ensure it doesn’t go to waste, like doing our part to help communities facing food scarcity.”
Alongside meal donations, the 4GOODFOOD program has involved revising over 500 recipes to enhance meal production efficiency; utilizing Winnow kitchen scales to analyze waste and losses for better food production adjustments, thereby reducing food discarded during meal preparation; providing training and engagement for galley staff; and launching the “Too Good to Waste” campaign to raise awareness among guests and crew onboard.
Carnival Corporation is seeking to broaden its meal donation program to additional communities and is collaborating with officials in the Caribbean and Latin America to assess its feasibility.