BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH) aims to address food insecurity and waste with its Food Rescue Campaign.
In the U.S., approximately 92 billion pounds of food are wasted yearly, which equals 145 billion meals. This amounts to an alarming $473 billion worth of food discarded annually.
According to the release, food waste is defined as perfectly good, safe-to-eat food that is thrown away instead of eaten. 38% of all food in America ends up in the landfill.
Common causes of food waste include imperfectly shaped fruits and vegetables, approaching sell-by or expiration dates (even though the food is still safe to eat), overproduction on farms, and damage during transport. Food waste is also responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions and constitutes the majority of items in landfills.
For Earth Day, FAKH is urging community members to support these efforts, which provide meals for residents in need and contributes to environmental protection.
Through the program, food resources that do not meet retail standards but are still safe for consumption are rescued and redistributed to neighbors through the organization’s network of agency partners.
FAKH partners with retailers such as Dollar General, Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart, and Sam’s Club to reduce their food waste and feed neighbors in the Heartland.
Last year alone, FAKH rescued 5.4 million pounds of food, equivalent to 4.5 million meals. Due to the support of donors, this surplus was kept out of landfills and redirected to families who need it most.
“Donating to Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland helps us not only respond to rising hunger in our community, but also save high-quality food from being thrown away,” said FAKH Executive Director Charles Dennis in a release. “We encourage community members to commemorate Earth Day by contributing to the well-being of both our neighbors and the planet.”
One way to reduce food waste is by contributing to the Food Rescue program. By donating $10 a month, you can rescue 90 pounds of food from becoming waste and help provide 75 meals for neighbors in need.
To learn more about programming through FAKH and to donate, visit feedingamericaky.org.
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