Fighting food waste and hunger through food rescue
Imagine a world where everyone has enough to eat, and we make the most of our resources.
The Feeding America network makes this vision a reality by rescuing food. We've saved 4 billion pounds of food from waste. We've helped feed millions of our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. And this is just the start.
The problem of food waste
Food waste is an urgent global crisis. People and companies throw away billions of pounds of edible food every year. This not only strains our environment but also deepens food insecurity. The statistics are staggering:
38%
of all food goes unsold or uneaten.
92B
pounds of food go to waste each year.
145B
meals' worth of food goes to landfills.
51.7%
of waste comes from the food industry.
How food rescue works
Food rescue is a powerful solution to this complex problem. We can reduce hunger and help the environment. Food rescue sends surplus food from farms, stores, and restaurants to food banks.
Our team works closely with food donors to intercept food before it goes to landfills.
The Feeding America network of food banks and meal programs pick up the donated food.
Our members carefully inspect the food to make sure it’s fresh and ready to enjoy.
The rescued food reaches people experiencing food insecurity.
What is food waste?
Food waste is perfectly good, safe-to-eat food that gets thrown away instead of eaten. It happens at home, in stores, restaurants, and farms. Food gets wasted because of things like:
- Ugly or oddly shaped fruits and veggies
- Upcoming sell-by or expiration dates (food is often still safe to eat)
- Overproduction at farms
- Food getting damaged during transport
The environmental impact
Uneaten food that ends up in landfills makes up 8% of global carbon emissions. Producing food uses valuable resources like water, fuel, fertilizer, and packaging that shouldn't be wasted.
At Feeding America, we believe food should always serve its greatest purpose: nourishing communities. By rescuing food before it becomes waste, our network helps feed people and protect the environment.
To expand this important work, we’re partnering with Brightly to develop and sell carbon credits that support more food rescue efforts. We invite you to learn more about our Carbon Offset Credit Program.
Fuel the fight against food waste!
Join us in our mission to rescue 5 billion pounds of food! Contributions to the Food Rescue Fund help keep good food in our community and out of landfills.
Benefits of food rescue
By supporting food rescue, you’re helping us create a future where no one experiences food insecurity and good food never goes to waste.
Less waste, more food
We keep good food out of landfills and give our neighbors nourishing meals.
Nourishes communities
We provide fresh fruits, veggies, and food to people visiting food pantries and meal programs.
Stronger food system
We create a more efficient way to get food from farms and stores to families.
Join the movement!
Help us end hunger and stop food waste. Here's how you can get involved:
Donate
Your support helps us rescue even more food.
Volunteer
Sort, pack, or even glean food from farms.
Reduce your food waste
Plan meals, store food properly, and get creative with leftovers.
Involve your company
Partner with Feeding America to start a food rescue program.
Explore more about food rescue
Check out food rescue stories and learn how you can help reduce food waste.
A farmer, a field of cabbage and a mission: to rescue food
Mike Etchart kneels in a field; crisp, leafy cabbage plants up to his waist. He slices a plump head off a nearby plant and holds it up, admiring it against the clear, warm Arizona sky.“We harvest green cabbage from November to June every year,” he said. “This is for retail.
Fighting food waste one orange at a time
Nestled into rolling hills about an hour north of San Diego, California, Ray Lodge’s small farm has been growing some of the best citrus in the country for more than half a century.“There’s history here,” Ray said. “The ranch was first established in 1862 with fruit trees and then cattle.
How Feeding America works with farmers
There are so many people working towards ending hunger every day – volunteers, food bank staff, food pantries, donors, and more – they all play a crucial role in ensuring neighbors facing hunger have the food we all need to thrive. But what about the people who grow the food we eat?
Your Guide to Gleaning: Rescuing Food & Fighting Hunger
Food banks work with local farmers to provide fresh, local produce to people facing hunger and rescue food that would otherwise go to waste. Sometimes, food banks go directly to the fields to get these great fruits and veggies before they go bad.
5 Things to do with Thanksgiving Leftovers
Planning a family gathering can be hard enough. The last thing we need to worry about is all the Thanksgiving leftovers. But, unfortunately, food waste during the holidays can be a big problem.Each year, 92 billion pounds of food goes to waste in the United States.
6 Ways to Rescue Fresh Food from Waste
Updated 10/10/2024Feeding America is the largest and most established food rescue organization in the country, rescuing 4 billion pounds of food annually in the U.S. We recently launched the Food Rescue Challenge to rescue an additional 1 billion pounds of food each year.