Mission
At Farm Share, our mission to make sure that no Floridian goes hungry and no food goes to waste.
We are proud and thankful to share that we never have and never will charge any organization or individual for food.
Our valued donors and Florida farmers make it possible for us to distribute healthy and nutritious fruits, vegetables, proteins and other non-perishable food to Florida families, children, seniors and individuals in need.
Overview
Established in 1991, Farm Share is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization works daily to make sure that food-insecure Floridians receive the food and support they need.
To accomplish this task, Farm Share partners with more than 2,000 food pantries, churches, schools and other nonprofits throughout Florida to distribute food every single day.
Last year, Farm Share distributed more than 88 million pounds of food to more than 17.5 million households residing in all of Florida’s 67 counties. Of the 88 million pounds of food distributed, more than 20 million pounds were fresh healthy fruits and vegetables.
When disasters strike, Farm Share is also first on the scene with support as a reliable responder. For more than 20 years, our team has played a crucial role in assisting before, after, and for years following hurricanes, fires, and other occurrences like the 2019 government shutdown. tornadoes and other natural disasters.
Partnering with Farmers to feed the Hungry
Did you know that 40% or more of every crop harvested is thrown away or plowed under? This equates to millions of pounds of wasted food each year.
Why are these Edible Crops Thrown Away?
The only thing wrong with these fruits and vegetables is that they are slightly misshapen, discolored, blemished or too large or too small to fit in the standard grocery store packaging.
This is where Farm Share comes in…
Farm Share partners with hundreds of Florida farmers across the state and throughout the country to receive these fruits and vegetables and distribute them to persons in need free of charge. This is a win/win for all parties. The farmers receive a tax deduction of up to two (2) times the cost of goods sold and they don’t have to watch the fruits of their labor go to waste. The recipients of the food receive healthy and nutritious life sustaining fruits, vegetables and proteins that they could not otherwise obtain due to restrictions in income or geographic access limitations. The environment is benefited because the crops are not left to rot in a landfill causing the release of harmful methane gas that damages the earth’s ozone layer.
Source: https://farmshare.org/about-us/
Analysis:
Farm Share is a link connecting farm waste to food insecure communities by way of donation and tax cuts. This intervention provides an interesting perspective on how to leverage economic policies to create systems in which all parties profit.
Moving forward, further research should be done into the economic policies that make up our current food system in order to see how they may be used to benefit a new intervention. Specifically, this business meets the baseline criteria for connecting food waste to insecure families through a systemic approach. However, this solution could still be seen as a band-aid to an existing problem: the existence of food waste and food insecurity in the first place. Therefore, research and ideation must be done moving forward in how the food system could potentially be disrupted so that these entities don’t exist in the first place.
