ELMSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — When Sean Rafferty started his grocery business, anything that didn’t sell was thrown away.
But one day, Rafferty, a ShopRite store manager in Elmsford-Greenburgh, New York, was preparing boxes of bread, cakes, fresh produce and dairy products to be picked up by the food bank. It’s part of a statewide program that requires large businesses to donate edible food and, if they can, recycle leftover food scraps.
“Years ago everything went into the garbage… into landfills or compactors or wherever,” said Rafferty, who has worked in the industry for 40 years. “Now, over the years, many programs have been developed that enable us to donate all of this food…where we help people who are food insecure.”
New York is among a growing number of states Targeting food waste Due to concerns that they take up diminishing landfill space and contribute to global warming as meat, vegetables and dairy products release the greenhouse gas methane after being thrown into a landfill. Salvaging unwanted fruits and vegetables, eggs, grains and other food items also helps feed hungry families.
Globally, about a third of food is wasted. In the United States, the percentage is even higher, at 40%, according to the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic. The United States spends about $218 billion each year on growing and producing wasted food. About 63 tons (57 metric tons) go to waste, including 52.4 tons (47.5 metric tons) that end up in landfills and 10 tons (9 metric tons) that are never harvested from farms.
“What often shocks people is not just how much we waste… but also the impact,” said Emily Broad-Lieb, a Harvard Law professor and director of the university’s Food Law and Policy Clinic. “Food waste accounts for about 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
Broad Leib says 20% of the water in the United States is used to grow food, “and then we dispose of it, so we’re basically taking the water and putting it directly into the landfill.”
But she and others also note that there is a growing awareness of the need to do something about food waste in the United States
In 2015, the USDA and EPA announced their goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
This has given rise to a number of state-led initiatives, along with smaller non-profit efforts.
Ten states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation or implemented policies to reduce, compost, or donate waste. All 50 states have passed legislation protecting donors and recovery organizations from criminal and civil liability associated with donated food.
California and Vermont have Programs launched Converting residents’ food waste into fertilizer or energy, while Connecticut requires businesses, including large food wholesalers and supermarkets, to recycle food waste. Maryland farmers can get a tax credit of up to $5,000 per farm for the food they donate.
Several states have joined New York in creating systems allowing food donations. Rhode Island requires food vendors serving educational institutions to donate any unused food to food banks, while Massachusetts limits the amount of food businesses can send to landfills, which Broad Leap said has increased food donations in the state by 22% over Over a period of two years.
The New York program is in its second year, and state officials believe it is having a significant impact.
As of late October, the program has redistributed 5 million pounds (2.3 million kilograms) of food — the equivalent of 4 million meals — through the Feeding New York State program, which supports the state’s 10 regional food banks and hopes to double that number in Next year. . Among those asked to donate food are colleges, prisons, parks and sports venues.
“Sure, we have to reduce the amount we waste initially, but then we have to feed people before we throw away the food if it’s good, healthy food,” said Sally Rowland, supervisor of the organics division at the state Department of Environmental Conservation. And the recycling department. “To me, it makes sense and I think it’s built this momentum for people to understand how much food we actually waste.”
Westchester County, New York, has eight refrigerated trucks that pick up all types of perishable foods, according to Danielle Vasquez, food donations coordinator at Feeding Westchester, one of the state’s food banks.
The group began working with companies in 2014, but has seen an increase in engagement since the donations law came into effect last year. Most of the food collected goes to nearly 300 programs and partners throughout the county, including the Mobile Food Pantry and The Carver Center, a nonprofit serving Port Chester families and children, which has a pantry.
“This time of year is very important to us and to a lot of families throughout Westchester,” Vasquez said. “There’s a high cost of food. There’s a high cost of living. Westchester County is a very expensive county to live in. …We’re here to support our families as much as we can, and that way, they can focus that money on paying their bills.”
Among those who visited the Carver Center earlier this month was Betsy Kirwa, who lamented how expensive everything has become since the coronavirus pandemic. She relied on getting milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables during her visit, and said she didn’t care if the product was slightly dented or damaged.
“Coming here is good,” said Kirwa, a mother of four who relies on Social Security. “If you don’t work, you won’t buy anything. “That’s the problem.”
Despite New York’s success, food waste advocates worry that not enough is being done to meet the 2030 goal. Broad Leap and others have called for a national effort to coordinate various state and local policies.
“There’s a goal, but we don’t really have a great roadmap… and how we’re actually going to achieve that ultimate goal by 2030, which is kind of crazy,” Broad Leib said, adding that there is one goal. The USDA Personal Liaison Office is not sufficient to address the problem.
Katherine Bender, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Delaware, said donation programs are helpful, but she worries they may shift the burden from businesses to nonprofits, which may find it difficult to distribute all the food.
“The best solution to the problem of food waste is to not have it in the first place,” Bender said. “If we don’t need to produce all this food, then let’s not invest all the resources in producing this food.”
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Casey reported from Boston.
