Urban Gleaners: Reducing Food Waste to Reduce Hunger (Video)

A simple idea that came out of hearing a story on the radio. For Tracy Oseran, it was something she had to do: help find and distribute food that would otherwise be thrown out -- perfectly edible food -- from supermarkets, farmer's markets, events, and restaurants, and deliver that food to agencies and schools that work directly with those facing food insecurity and hunger concerns. Last year her organization, Urban Gleaners rescued over 500,000 pounds of food from being thrown into landfills, and instead given to people in need.

Originally seen on Food.Farmer.Earth.

 

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Comments

[mlaiuppa]

02:01 PM on 05/25/2012

It is a national tragedy that the U.S. throws so much food away while we have children with empty bellies.

[Vera Gottlieb]

10:17 AM on 05/25/2012

On the Cook Islands an entire 'industry' of excellent oranges was allowed to disappear because the oranges tended to have blemishes and so were not marketable. The European Union finally did away with the idiotic notion that cucumbers could not be brought to market if they weren't perfectly straight. Always this 'for show' is allowing much perfectly edible food to just be thrown away. And so what if there is a blemish...take a knife and cut it out. Big deal!

[Rebecca Gerendasy]

11:38 AM on 05/25/2012

Only perfectly straight cucumbers? Somehow that's just not natural. And I totally agree with you on blemished food. Whenever my kids complained of a 'bruise' on their fruit, I said eat around it or cut it out. And if it's too mushy you can generally cook with it in some manner.

[Vera Gottlieb]

02:10 PM on 05/25/2012

One needs to realize that the unelected parliamentarians sitting in Brussels don't have a 'perfectly straight mind' either...