How an internet app is fighting hunger and climate change in Middle Georgia
A new nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste and increasing food access is coming to Middle Georgia this summer.
Food Rescue US is a volunteer-based, national nonprofit with 39 locations across the country, and is opening its first location in Georgia late this summer in Houston County.
However, there won’t be a physical location to donate or drop food off, as most of the group’s operations are managed online.
Here’s how it works
Through its web-based app, Food Rescue US connects volunteers, food donors and social service agencies serving people experiencing food insecurity, according to Zaire Brown, director over the Houston County location.
The nonprofit sources food that’s edible and already prepared, and that would otherwise not be used or sold from grocers, farms, caterers, bakeries, schools, hospitals and farmer’s markets, effectively keeping this food out of the waste stream and into hands that need it.
Once food donors and agencies are on board, volunteers can see what food is available for pickup from participating businesses. They can then coordinate directly through the app to pick up the food and deliver it to the agency that needs it.
These social service agencies include faith-based organizations with emergency outreach, food pantries, food banks — any group that distributes food to people facing food insecurity in the community, according to Elycet Crow, co-site director of the Houston County location.
Rescues also can be segmented by specific needs. For example, if an agency only needs milk or eggs, volunteers can be matched with donations that meet those requirements.
“We rely completely on volunteers to pick up the donations and deliver them directly to social service agencies that assist people facing food insecurity,” Crow said. “In addition to addressing issues of hunger, rescuing food has a significant beneficial impact on the environment.”
The Houston County site for Food Rescue US is aiming to be operational by early August, according to Crow, just in time for back-to-school in Perry.
How stopping food waste fights climate change
In addition to providing food to those in need, by keeping food out of landfills, the nonprofit reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Currently, food waste is contributing 8% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations.
This is because food that ends up in landfills decomposes, and releases carbon dioxide and methane.
“Americans generate more food waste than any other country,” Food Rescue US’ website reads. “We throw away 40% of our food supply, which equates to an estimated 125-160 billion pounds of food each year.”
In 2021 in the U.S., 91 million tons of food went unsold uneaten. That same year, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated 549 pounds of food waste per person.
Of the food wasted throughout the U.S., 42% is fresh fruits and vegetables, and 26% is milk and dairy products, according to Food Rescue US.
“A 15% reduction in food waste would not only reduce climate change, it would provide enough food for more than 25 million Americans each year,” the group’s website says.
Since Food Rescue’s founding in 2014, the nonprofit has provided 166 million meals and kept 199 million pounds of excess food out of landfills.
Other organizations fighting food waste in Middle GA
Food Rescue US is one of many organizations working on hunger and food waste issues, according to Valerie Bennett, director of communications for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit that supports environmental sustainability initiatives in Georgia.
The Society of St. Andrew partners with farmers to collect fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go unharvested, often due to limited resources or unstable market prices that make harvesting unprofitable, bridging the gap between surplus produce and those in need.
Wholesome Wave Georgia operates statewide, most specifically in Middle Georgia, connecting farmers to selling opportunities through mobile markets, farm stands and farmers markets. These outlets also allow families to use SNAP benefits to buy fresh, nutritious food.
Feeding Georgia and the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank lead a statewide initiative to fight hunger. Through a network of member food banks and over 2,000 partner pantries, they help distribute food to more than 156,000 individuals across Georgia every week.
“... The pieces are coming together in Middle Georgia for food recovery and redistribution,” Bennett said. “All of these efforts together promise to definitely make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions in your area.”
