Feed the Hungry with Local Food—Stock the Nation's 40,000 Food Pantries

One in eight Americans are considered food insecure—which, as the term suggests, means they don't have reliable access to a steady food supply. Yet Americans throw away 100 million tons of food waste every year—enough to feed much of the world's hungry, and far more than enough to feed the hungry right here in the states. Add into the equation that millions of Americans actually grow more local food in their own backyards then they can actually use, and we've got ourselves a pretty puzzling situation.

Logically, there's got to be a way to channel food waste from the disposers to the hungry—for a food sharing system to be implemented. And there is in fact a promising solution—or rather, 40,000 of them?already in action. Food pantries, or food banks are aptly named storage centers where people can deposit their excess grown food. They're open to the public, so those in need can share the bounty of fresh produce and excess food.

Problem is, these food pantries are woefully under-publicized?unless you hear of one through word of mouth or at a community center, you most likely have no idea whether or not there's one in your area. This problem has led the nonprofit Ample Harvest, to attempt to create a directory of all such pantries so they can be located online.

Food pantries are a great idea—since they're open to all, and driven by community participation, they're likely to be a more comfortable option than soup kitchens for the hungry to use. They also help educate the poor about local farming practices and healthy eating habits. But for the system to work, it's crucial that both the hungry and local food growers actually know where to find them. Which is why Ample Harvest's work may provide the missing cog to get the machine running.

If the system works, it could do more than feed the hungry, too—around $1 billion is spent each year simply disposing of excess food waste. And much of that waste ends up in landfills, where they rot and release methane—a greenhouse gas that's 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. All of which could be reduced by better food waste management.

If you're a local grower or a backyard gardener and you've got extra goods to go around, check out Ample Harvest to see if there's a pantry near you. If they don't have one listed, ask around to see if there is indeed a pantry nearby, and contact Ample Harvest with your findings to help spread the word. Help cut down food waste, feed the hungry—pretty good deal.