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| Waste Not |
| Editorial | |
| By Erica Burke | |
| Tuesday, 01 May 2007 | |
 Unsellable food includes everything from dented cans and products that feature outdated packaging designs to items close to expiration that are “perfectly fine” quality-wise, but would not be suitable for store shelves, according to Bob Dolgan, public relations manager of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. What’s more, the food industry consistently breaks its own revenue records annually. The National Restaurant Association reports the industry contributes $950 billion annually to the global economy. Still, every day, Americans go hungry while everyone from households to corporations trash perfectly good food. Working poor families, some parents of young children and the elderly are among those who need food assistance to help make ends meet. “The USDA established that in 2005, there were 35 million hungry Americans,”says Phil Zepeda, vice president of communications for America’s Second Harvest, the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country. “That’s more than one person in 10 who is food insecure – meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.” Who is Hungry? Part of feeding America’s hungry is acknowledging who they are – putting a face to the problem, Zepeda says. “Nine million are children; 3 million are older adults; [and] a significant amount are working poor – people who have jobs and are unable to make ends meet,” he says. “All it takes is an illness or a loss of income to throw one’s universe off balance. “It’s easy to generalize hungry Americans, but it’s important we address this on an individual basis,” he adds. Overall, in 2005: • 37 million people (12.6 percent) were in poverty • 7.7 million families were in poverty • 20.5 million (11.3 percent) of people aged 18-64 were in poverty • 12.9 million (17.8 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty • 3.6 million (10.1 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty, an increase from 3.5 million in 2004 Combined Effort Zepeda says no one can stamp out hunger alone – that it takes the cooperation of government and corporate America. “There is a significant amount of food that’s fit for consumption that is just wasted,” he says. This food could be excess inventory or overruns, or mislabeled products that are edible, but that manufacturers don’t want to put on the market, he says. Unsellable food includes everything from dented cans and products that feature outdated packaging designs to items close to expiration that are “perfectly fine” quality-wise, but would not be suitable for store shelves, according to Bob Dolgan, public relations manager of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The good news is, America’s Second Harvest – in cooperation with food industry operators and 208 foodbanks nationwide – is feeding 25 million people a year with help from everyone from Fortune 500 food manufacturers to smaller, independent restaurateurs. “And it’s not just anything – we’re serving healthy, wholesome food, including produce, veggies and meat and seafood,” Zepeda says. “It’s not junk food.” “Donated food is our lifeblood,” Dolgan adds. “We need to make sure we have certain commodities required for a well-rounded diet, including milk, cereal and meat.” Of the 40 million pounds of food the Greater Chicago Food Depository distributes annually, 7 million pounds, Dolgan says, is produce. A study completed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1997 highlights the level of food waste throughout the country at that more than 96 billion pounds, proving there is more food available for donation. Donating surplus or imperfect, though edible, food is a simple way food manufacturers, retailers, distributors, restaurants and caterers can give back to their communities with very little effort. Considering there are 208 foodbanks, it is more convenient than ever to donate locally. “From Maine to San Diego, our entire network is part of the fabric of America and its communities,” Zepeda stresses. “We’re like a grocery retail chain that gives food away to people who need it the most.” Each year, the organization’s network of food banks and food-rescue organizations says it distributes 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products. “Corporations who come onboard are having a phenomenal affect on us [fulfilling the mission],” he adds. “Their sense of civic responsibility is having a dramatic, positive effect on lives of communities and humans.” Donating Made Easy It’s quite easy, according to Zepeda, to help out. For example, DonorExpress is a free, user-friendly Web site that allows companies to easily and efficiently donate food and grocery products to the America’s Second Harvest Network online. Kraft Foods, Tropicana, Hershey’s Chocolate and Coca-Cola are a few large firms that use this service. Generally, donors are asked simple questions before donations are accepted, such as basic contact info; product description and code date; amount of donation; and donation reason (e.g., surplus, approaching code date, salvage, quality control). Fulfilling The Mission For America’s Second Harvest to continue fulfilling its mission, Zepeda says it must count on committed donors. “We have to make sure it’s sustainable; we can’t count on infrequent donations,” he says. Part of finding and retaining long-term donors is promotion. For example, America’s Second Harvest recently partnered with Shedd’s Country Crock for the “Spread the Sharing” nationwide campaign challenging Americans to tell one million stories of sharing by Thanksgiving 2007. For each story, which can be submitted online, one meal will be donated to America’s Second Harvest. Shedd’s Country Crock has already made an initial donation of one million meals through America’s Second Harvest and is looking to match that donation with every story shared. Spread the Word Keith Bobier, senior director of Spreads brand building, says Country Crock has always been about bringing family around the table to share stories over dinner, with the tub of its product as the centerpiece of the table. It felt the Spread the Sharing campaign could help take the “dinner conversation” further into the community as a way to discuss sharing and kindness on a broader level. This is not the first time the two have worked together. For 2006’s America’s Largest Sit Down Dinner – a Georgia-based free dinner event – Country Crock donated 10,000 pounds of Country Crock Side Dishes to America’s Second Harvest. “[America’s Second Harvest is] a wonderful organization; it was a natural fit to partner with them again for the Spreading the Sharing campaign,” Bobier says. Though the current campaign was just kicked off in April, the Web site is getting strong feedback, he insists. Promotion Matters “Whether it’s the Spread the Sharing campaign or the Idol Gives Back [charity event], promotion helps create more visibility, which helps us bring about awareness and education,” Zepeda explains. “We have researched that three-quarters of the population is aware of hunger – awareness and education are different. “Corporate partners help in the education part quite a bit. Through outreach programs, such as Hunger 101, we are able to educate businesses about how many of us are just a few paychecks away from hunger, but don’t even know it.” Hunger 101, which is available in many communities, strives to increase awareness about hunger and poverty through workshops, online curricula and other creative tools. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says promoting the need for donors is an ongoing strategy. In past year, it has expanded its monetary and food donations strategy with mailers, events and tours. “We’ve been working more proactively in the industry to try to make connections,” Dolgan says. “We’re showing what we have to offer with active solicitation. [Our efforts have] been very well received.” Though The Greater Chicago Food Depository depends largely on corporate donations, Dolgan emphasizes “any support is welcome. “We’re looking for any creative ideas from our donors [for ways to] put food to good use,” He adds. “We can find a match [for any donor].” Consumer Voices Bobier admits part of the impetus behind helping raise awareness and meals for the hungry has been driven by vocal consumers. “Consumers were telling us to put [our] money where [our] mouth is,” he says. “They challenged us to lead by example; show them what Country Crock is prepared to do. It was a strong signal for us to fall in line. “Obviously, as a manufacturer, we needed to address the hunger problem somehow and felt Spread the Sharing was a perfect way show our consumers our dedication to the effort.” |
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