Establishment of Six Regional Produce Cooperatives

Feeding America is pleased to announce a $1.3 million commitment from Target to support the establishment of Regional Produce Cooperatives throughout the country that will increase the amount of produce available for distribution to people in need while also reducing wasted food. The six regional cooperatives will support Feeding America’s network member food banks and their efforts to provide more healthy food options for people facing hunger.

The Regional Produce Cooperatives will enable food banks to receive a greater variety of produce at a lower cost and with more consistency. The Cooperatives create an efficient and effective model to procure and process larger volumes of produce while allowing food banks of all sizes to receive the product needed for their local community.

“There are 42 million people in the U.S. who do not have access to enough nutritious food and are just trying to make ends meet,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “Our goal is to have fresh produce comprise half the food we distribute by 2025. In the past year, we have distributed more than a billion pounds of fruits and vegetables and with Target’s commitment to support Regional Produce Cooperatives, we are moving closer toward that goal.”

“Making better-for-you living accessible and attainable for communities across the country is important to Target and our guests,” said Jennifer Silberman, vice president, corporate social responsibility, Target. “These cooperatives will help strengthen the neighborhoods where we do business, and give more families across the nation access to healthy food.”

To date, six Regional Produce Cooperatives have been established in strategic locations throughout the country to centralize produce sourcing and distribution within in each region: 

• Lower Midwest (Indiana)
• Upper Midwest (Minnesota)
• Southeast (Georgia)
• Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania)
• Northwest (Washington)
• Southwest (Texas)

The first new site launched was the Southwest location in summer 2016 and has already shipped 14 million pounds of produce to 21 food banks in Texas. The other locations launched in 2017, bringing this effort to national scale and scope.

The Regional Produce Cooperatives join the existing efforts of the California Association of Food Banks, established in 2004. This network sourced more than 160 million pounds of produce in the past year.

Each Regional Produce Cooperative is member-led and operates one central processing facility to receive, store and distribute large amounts of produce. Furthermore, the cooperatives are able to accept more produce donations, which increases the overall quantity of fresh produce available to people facing hunger.

Contact

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About Feeding America

Rooted in the voices of neighbors facing hunger, Feeding America® unites the country to ensure everyone has access to food and a thriving future. We support tens of millions of people as part of a nationwide network of 250+ food banks, 20+ statewide food bank associations, 10+ regional co-ops and 60,000+ agency partners, food pantries and meal programs. Powered by leaders and volunteers embedded in local communities, we are one of the nation’s most effective food distribution systems to drive immediate impact today –and a catalyst for long-term change through advocating for legislation that improves food security and work to address its factors. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations and supporters, acting united with unwavering commitment to provide nourishing food and work to end hunger at its roots so everyone can live fuller, healthier lives. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.