Food recovery strategies will bring relief to more County families and be a boon to the environment
By Ciara O’ Brien
Every day, good food is tossed out. Meanwhile, an estimated 116,000 local residents don’ t know where their next meal is coming from. It’ s a frustrating paradox, but Montgomery County is tackling this problem head-on with a bold new plan that transforms food waste into a lifeline for families, while putting climate goals into action.
With a new three-part plan launched by Montgomery County’ s Office of Food Systems Resilience( OFSR), the County is setting the stage for a more coordinated, collaborative and climate-conscious“ food recovery network.” The County’ s new approach to food recovery aims to expand the redistribution of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, benefiting both the community and the environment. Montgomery County has invested more than $ 3 million over the past decade to strengthen its food recovery efforts, working alongside a network of local organizations. At a time when food insecurity is affecting nearly 35 % of County residents, and demand for food assistance is at an all-time high, the County is now stepping up its efforts to meet the growing need.
Food recovery, also known as food rescue, involves collecting safe-to-eat food such as produce, baked goods, shelf-stable items. and prepared meals that can no longer be sold and redistributing it directly to residents or to food assistance organizations. This practice helps alleviate food insecurity and reduces food waste and its associated environmental impact.
The OFSR’ s new food recovery initiatives will entail collaboration with over two dozen food recovery organizations that together collect and distribute millions of pounds of food annually. Local heroes like Community Food Rescue( CFR), a program of Manna Food Center, have played a crucial role in these efforts to date. CFR has rescued nearly 14 million pounds of food since its inception in 2012, and works by connecting hundreds of food donors – including local grocery stores, farm partners and restaurants – with a network of recipient organizations that receive the donations via volunteer“ food runners” and distribute the recovered food to residents.
“ We hope that the spirit of collective impact that built Community Food Rescue will carry into the next phase of food recovery efforts,” said Jenna Umbriac, director of programs for Manna Food Center.
“ Manna is committed to offering our support as the County transitions to a new funding structure for these vital activities that feed more and waste less.”
Bridging Gaps with Infrastructure and Collaboration
While the County has made significant strides in advancing food recovery over the past ten years,
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