2026 National Food Collection Day in Piedmont
Date of the event:
The National Food Collection Day is the solidarity event organised by the Fondazione Banco Alimentare ETS, held every year in Italian supermarkets. The 2026 edition, marking the initiative's thirtieth anniversary, takes place on Saturday 14 November in stores across Turin and the other Piedmont provinces, where customers can set aside part of their shopping to donate products to people in financial difficulty [1][2].
The initiative in Piedmont
In Piedmont the collection involves around 1,300 stores and mobilises more than 12,000 volunteers, recognisable by the orange clothing used to identify the event. Anyone wishing to take part can freely choose how much to spend, with no minimum amount or need to book: it is enough to buy a few more items than usual, choosing from the products indicated as most needed by the staff present in the stores. Preference goes to non-perishable foods such as pasta, rice, oil, canned goods, legumes and baby food [1].
The donated items are subsequently transported, checked and distributed not to a single centre but to the various charitable organisations affiliated with the Banco Alimentare del Piemonte, according to local needs. From 2 November until the day of the Collection it is also possible to donate online through dedicated platforms [1][2].
The scale of food assistance
In Piedmont the Banco Alimentare network reaches more than 111,000 people through around 560 affiliated organisations, including families with children, elderly people with limited resources and people who have lost their jobs or are going through periods of economic instability [1][2].
Participation by Piedmont residents has grown in recent years: in 2025, 691 tonnes of products were donated, about twenty more than the previous edition. In 2023 the collection had totalled 594 tonnes, while in 2021 it stopped at 548 tonnes [1].
Statements
The president of Banco Alimentare del Piemonte, Francesco Rondinelli, described the Collection as a network of solidarity built over thirty years by volunteers, associations, institutions, businesses and citizens. The president of the Fondazione Banco Alimentare ETS, Marco Piuri, stressed the goal of extending this solidarity community by involving younger generations, recalling the Pope's message for World Day of the Poor on 15 November [2].
Sources
- Torino Free — 8 November 2026
- Il Torinese — 7 November 2026