According to the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Feeding America, 47 million people in the United States are food insecure. The food insecurity rate in Oregon was 13.1% in 2022, forty-five percent of whom are estimated to be ineligible for SNAP benefits. This number increases to almost 14% in Jackson County, and 16% in Josephine County. There is not a single state or county in the United States that is not struggling with food insecurity to some degree.
‘Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is a natural resource issue; not only do crop production and prices affect food security, but also water quality and quantity. The health of our soils, nutrient capacity, and our diets all affect the sustainability of food production and, therefore, our food security. Food insecurity is associated with numerous adverse social and health outcomes and is increasingly considered a critical public health issue. Key drivers of food insecurity include unemployment, poverty, and income shocks, which can prevent adequate access to food. Alternatively, multiple interventions have been shown to reduce food insecurity, including participation in food assistance programs and broader societal-level improvements in economic stability.’
Connecting food insecurity to food waste
‘In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply. This estimate, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010.’2 Food waste happens at every stage of production; from on-farm, to packaging, transportation, at the retail level, and post-consumer waste, there are always chances for us to do better.
Although addressing food insecurity might seem overwhelming, and the matter of food waste may seem like an additional problem in our communities, together they present a unique opportunity. Many organizations ranging from the USDA to local food banks and farms are tackling this very issue; repurposing our ‘leftover’ crops and delivering it to those in need before it becomes waste.
Figure from Market Analysis Report by Grand View Research, including forecasts of food waste trends in the United States.
Gleaning
Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Locally, the Josephine County Food Bank operates a 2.5-acre farm that serves as a production and education farm that generates around 18,000 pounds of food that goes right back into the community every year. The Ashland Community Food Bank hosts a food drive on the second Saturday of every even-numbered month where they boast the work of their volunteers that regularly receive over 25,000 pounds of food to distribute to our neighbors.
Learn more about the Gleaning Network here and Josephine County Food Bank here (photo Credit Josephine County Food Bank).
References
Feeding America https://map.feedingamerica.org/
*A Note from RRWC
This article was written by Angela Powell, who is the County Programs Analyst for the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Rogue River Watershed Council is proud to work with a diverse group of partners that combine the interests of ecological health with community health. To learn more about FSA programs, head to their website or reach out to Angela at Angela.Powell@usda.gov.
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