International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

According to a report released by the United Nations this March, an estimated 17% of global food production was wasted.

Globally, around 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail (i.e. it never makes it to the grocery store). This could be due to market competition, cosmetic imperfections, or labor shortages. An estimated 17% of total global food production is wasted (11% in households, 5% in the food service and 2% in retail). In other words: we buy it at the store, but it goes bad before it is eaten and then gets tossed into the garbage.

Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative is joining other gleaning groups across the world in honoring the 2nd annual International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. To raise awareness about food loss, waste, and the innovative solutions that work to address it, the Gleaning Initiative and other members of the Maine Gleaning Network are organizing gleaning activities across the state.

Healthy Acadia helps to prevent food loss and waste in the following ways:

  • Harvesting crops that farmers donate due to overabundance, market saturation, insect damage, or cosmetic imperfections

  • Collecting food from farms that has already been harvested but can’t be sold due to slight imperfections (e.g. funny shaped veggies)

  • Collecting leftover food from a farmers market or farmstand, or food that wasn’t picked up by a CSA member 

  • Providing an outlet for gardeners when they have a surplus of fruits or vegetables

To celebrate International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste and Maine Gleaning Week, Healthy Acadia will be gleaning kale at Beech Hill Farm on Tuesday, distributing produce to hunger relief organizations on Wednesday morning, gleaning carrots and potatoes on Wednesday afternoon, and gleaning at the Blue Hill and Bar Harbor farmers markets over the weekend.  

To get involved, email Rachel Emus at rachel@healthyacadia.org, and follow #FLWDay, #WeAreGleaners, and #MaineGleaningWeek on social media.

POSTTracey CarlsonCE, HFFA