A new program in the Atlanta area aims to address food insecurity by salvaging unsold, farm-fresh produce and getting it into the hands of those who could really use it.
The program is a partnership between “Second Helpings” and Retaaza.
According to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks in the US, one-in-eight adults and one-in-five children in Georgia live in food-insecure homes. “Second Helpings” will assist local farmers by reducing food waste (nearly 40% of farm produce) and ensuring farmers are compensated for their unsold goods.
The program will move harvested food from farms to food-insecure individuals.
“It’s harvested, say, on Wednesday, and then it arrives in our warehouse on Friday typically,” said Paul Clements, Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta. “Then it’s out onto someone’s plate by Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning.”
“We’re very happy to be able to offer our nonprofit partners more access to more food, particularly fresh, nutritious food,” Clements added.
“This is the first project where we have really partnered hand-in-hand to rescue farm food waste and have a systematic way of getting it out in volume,” said Kashi Sehgal, founder and CEO of Retaaza.
“It feels very, very good to know that the food that we have painstakingly, lovingly grown is going to nourish people,” said Judith Winfrey, co-owner of Love is Love Cooperative Farm in Newton County. “That’s why we do what we do.”
“It gives us the confidence to grow all we can grow because we know that we have a backup plan if we’re unable to sell our food through our regular channels,” she said.
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