Thirty to forty percent of the food supply in the United States goes to waste. According to some estimates, more food reaches U.S. landfills and combustion facilities than any other single material, comprising a quarter of our everyday trash. Meanwhile, one in eight American households suffer from food insecurity.
Gleaning—the rerouting of food that would otherwise go to waste—tackles the simultaneous problems of food insecurity and waste. In recent years, organizations have sprung up across the country to collect leftover crops and fresh foods from farms, markets, grocery stores, and other sources, to redistribute them to those in need.
CAFS launched the National Gleaning Project to support a growing network of gleaning organizations across the country to unravel the complex laws and policies that influence their efforts. This project provides information on national and state laws and regulations pertaining to gleaning and food donation, an interactive map of gleaning and fresh food recovery organizations, and other topical resources.
