A food bank staff member holding bread.
A child holding a cob of corn and an apple.
A farmer watering plants.

Food waste and food rescue

The United States produces more than enough food to feed everyone, but it wastes millions of pounds of perfectly good food yearly while 44 million people in the country face hunger. To fix this problem, we need better solutions to reduce food waste.

Feeding America, the country’s largest food rescue organization, partners with food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers to rescue food and deliver it to food banks.

A food bank staff member holding bread.
A child holding a cob of corn and an apple.
A farmer watering plants.

What is food waste?

Food waste is safe; high-quality food is thrown away instead of eaten. Here are some common reasons food waste happens:

  • People throw away uneaten food at home, stores, and restaurants.

  • Farmers leave unharvested crops in fields due to low prices or overproduction.

  • Problems occur during the transportation and manufacturing of food.

  • Retailers reject food that doesn't meet appearance or color standards.

A box of potatoes and bell peppers.

How much food goes to waste?

In the United States, people waste 80 million tons of food every year, which equals 149 billion meals. They throw away over $444 billion worth of food annually. Shockingly, they waste 38% of all the food in America.

80M tons of food go to waste each year.

38% of all food goes unsold or uneaten.

149B meals' worth of food goes to landfills.

46% of food waste comes from the food industry.

How we address food waste

We work with farmers, manufacturers, and retailers to stop commercial food waste at the source. Our most powerful weapon against food waste is food rescue. We collect high-quality food that would otherwise go to waste and distribute it to organizations fighting hunger.

Fresh produce on a table.

Food Rescue

We keep high-quality food out of landfills. Last year, the Feeding America network and its partners rescued 4 billion pounds of groceries. That food went directly to meals for people facing hunger.

A farmer holding a bin with cherry tomatoes inside of it.

Food Waste Prevention

We identify food at risk of going to waste, offer rescued food to food banks, and safely ship the food to partners. We invest nearly $40 million to help local food banks address food waste.

Volunteers sorting food boxes and bags.

Company Partnerships

Our free MealConnect app makes it easy for local businesses, such as grocery stores and food companies, to donate surplus food to food banks in their area. Since launching, MealConnect has kept 5.3 billion pounds of food out of landfills.

Learn more ›

How you can help

Millions of pounds of perfectly good food go to waste daily in the United States. In contrast, millions of people experience food insecurity. Feeding America is working hard to change that, and you can help.

A mom and son cooking on the stove.

Prevent food waste at home

Prevent food waste at home, such as planning meals, storing food properly, and using food in clever ways.

Learn more ›

A mom and her child carrying a frozen turkey.

Support food rescue efforts

Your financial support can help us rescue even more food from landfills. Your donation helps us store and transport food to food banks and meal programs in the Feeding America network.

Donate now ›

A person holding a box of food and smiling.

Involve your company

If you work for a company that produces or sells food, there are many ways to get involved. We can help you connect with a local food bank and develop a food rescue program.

Learn more ›