Food Insecurity | How do we feed 40 million food insecure Americans?
Diminishing waste, malnutrition and hunger through technological education and connection.
THE PROBLEM
Food is essential to life. So, why do we put so little effort into doing it right? Malnutrition, hunger and food insecurity are plaguing all nations. According to National Geographic, one-sixth of Americans don’t have enough food to eat. That is approximately 17% of the people, from the wealthiest country in the world, going hungry. Globally, more than 820 million people are affected by food insecurity. And while hunger is prevalent, an even bigger issue is the access to healthy and nutritional food. Fresh, unprocessed food is very often either unavailable or extremely expensive. This leads to people resorting to nutritionally deficient food, resulting in extreme cases of malnutrition or even obesity.
Hungry people are everywhere, yet nature allows us to grow endless health-giving sustenance. There is enough food, but we are managing it badly. Very, very badly. The inept management of food was measured by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, and they found that around 33% of the food produced in the world — roughly 1.3 billion tons — is lost or wasted. Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food. The need for an adjustment to the way we produce and distribute food is written on the wall. How can we reduce waste, reappropriate surplus food and provide nutrition to the millions that deserve their simplest needs met?
A SOLUTION
AmpleHarvest.org is a visionary non-profit which is making great strides to a more sustainable food future. By using technology, they are working to end food waste and hunger, reduce malnutrition and empower millions of backyard gardeners to easily find a local food pantry eager for their excess garden bounty.
Ample Harvest’s main goal is “No Food Left Behind.” By enabling gardeners to pinpoint a food pantry near them and discover the pantries’ desired day/time for receiving donations, they increase the ease of redistributing edible surplus. Also displayed are personalized driving instructions to the pantry, as well as a photograph of the pantry, making it easier to locate. For the benefit of gardeners, during a non-growing season, Ample Harvest conveniently provides pantries the opportunity to list any store bought items they may need donated.
Other food waste and hunger focused programs usually work with farms, community gardeners and food banks, but Ample Harvest’s aim is to work chiefly with America’s 42 million backyard gardeners and its 32,500 neighborhood food pantries, where fresh food is rarely available. Currently, through Ample Harvest you can access their 8,581 registered local food pantries. While food banks are large-scale operations that collect and distribute to soup kitchens, etc.; food pantries are local, walk-in locations where families in need can secure food. The typical food pantry operates out of schools, houses of worship or other civic buildings, and can go by various other names such as food closet, shelf, cupboard or share.
With the proven notion that the number of gardeners willing and able to donate produce is enough to change the national statistics on hunger in America, Ample Harvest is making positive steps forward in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. Not to mention, reducing food waste in the process. Like this organization, with a grand idea and a local focus, we can work together to feed ourselves better and put the leftovers to good use!
If you would like to hear more of AmpleHarvest.org’s story or other social impact leaders taking on world pressing problems, listen to the GettingThere Podcast on any of your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast. We release a new podcast episode every Tuesday.
If you would like to donate, volunteer, or learn more, visit https://ampleharvest.org/
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