Issues of the Environment: Food Gatherers continues its work to reduce food insecurity and food waste

Overview

• Since 2020 and tied to the COVID19 pandemic, the United States has experienced a significant increase in food prices, with a cumulative rise of approximately 23.24% by 2024, averaging an annual inflation rate of 5.36%. In Washtenaw County, while specific local data may vary, residents have faced similar challenges due to these national trends. The escalating cost of groceries has strained household budgets, particularly affecting low-income families and individuals relying on fixed incomes. 
  

• This surge in food prices has intensified food insecurity in the county, underscoring the need for robust community support and effective hunger-relief programs to assist those most impacted. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 39,080 individuals, or 10.7% of the population, were food insecure. By 2021, this number increased to 53,670 individuals, representing 14.6% of the population. (Source: Can Washtenaw)
  

• Food Gatherers' Food Rescue Program significantly reduces food waste in the county, which also aids in combating climate change by diverting surplus food from landfills. In fiscal year 2024, the organization distributed 9.9 million pounds of food, equivalent to 8.2 million meals, to individuals and families in need. By preventing this food from decomposing in landfills, where it would emit methane—a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential over 25 times greater than carbon dioxide—Food Gatherers effectively lowers the environmental impact of food waste.

• Washtenaw County saw record-breaking demand for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then the need for Food Gatherers' services in Washtenaw County has continued to rise significantly. In fiscal year 2020, the organization distributed 7.8 million pounds of food, driven by a 450% increase in calls and a 388% surge in visits to their "Find Food" webpage. By fiscal year 2024, this figure had grown to 9.9 million pounds of food distributed—an increase of 27% over four years. This sustained demand highlights ongoing challenges in the community, including inflation, rising food prices, and persistent economic instability, which have kept food insecurity rates elevated even as pandemic-related restrictions eased. 

• In 2024, Food Gatherers has actively contributed to reducing food waste in Washtenaw County through several key initiatives:
  
  1. Food Rescue Program: By partnering with local retailers, restaurants, and food producers, Food Gatherers collects surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. This rescued food is then distributed to community members in need, effectively diverting it from landfills.
     
  2. Community Kitchen Operations: The Community Kitchen utilizes donated and rescued food to prepare nutritious meals for those facing food insecurity. This approach ensures that edible food is repurposed to feed the community rather than being discarded.
     
  3. Neighborhood Grocery Initiatives (NGIs): Through monthly distributions at affordable housing communities, Food Gatherers provides fresh produce and staples, reducing the likelihood of food spoilage and waste among recipients.
     
  4. Educational Outreach: Food Gatherers conducts workshops and provides resources to educate the community about food waste reduction strategies, including proper food storage, meal planning, and creative use of leftovers.
     

• These efforts align with broader national strategies to reduce food loss and waste, such as the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics released by the Biden-Harris Administration in June 2024. (Source: USDA) By implementing these programs, Food Gatherers plays a vital role in minimizing food waste and enhancing food security in the Ann Arbor area. Food Gatherers urgently needs financial contributions, non-perishable food donations, volunteer support, and community advocacy to sustain its hunger-relief efforts and ensure access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations in Washtenaw County.

Who is most vulnerable to food insecurity in Washtenaw County?

In Washtenaw County, certain populations are more susceptible to food insecurity:

• Low-Income Households: Approximately 141,000 households in the county fall below the ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) earnings threshold, indicating limited financial resources to meet basic needs, including food.

• Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Black households are disproportionately affected by economic challenges, making them more vulnerable to food insecurity.

• Children: In 2021, 6,090 children in Washtenaw County lived in food-insecure households, highlighting the impact on younger residents. (Source: Click On Detroit, CAN)

• Seniors: Older adults often face fixed incomes and increased healthcare costs, contributing to higher rates of food insecurity among this demographic.

These statistics underscore the need for targeted interventions to address food insecurity among vulnerable groups in Washtenaw County.

Transcription

David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU. And tomorrow is a day when family and friends gather together to feast and to reflect on all of the reasons to be thankful. Some holiday celebrations are more bountiful than others. I'm David Fair, and this is Issues of the Environment. And today, we're going to look at the increasing levels of food insecurity and perhaps find more reasons for gratitude among the fortunate among us and an appreciation for those who are working to give those in need. Eileen Spring is president and CEO of Ann Arbor-based Food Gatherers. She's seen firsthand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing inflation in consumer prices. Now, take a moment and think about the amount of leftovers we all create and the amount of food that gets thrown away. While putting food waste to work and addressing food insecurity not only helps people, it helps the environment. As a result, Food Gatherers is busier than ever. Eileen, thank you so much for making time for us today!

Eileen Spring: Thank you for having me!

David Fair: Let's look back before 2020. How much food was Food Gatherers putting out into the community prior to the start of that pandemic?

Eileen Spring: So, in fiscal year 2019, we distributed 6.5 million pounds of food. And in fiscal year '24, which ended for us in June, we distributed 9.9 million pounds of food and nearly 27% more than the previous year. So, all told, compared to pre-pandemic versus now, we are distributing 50% more food throughout Washtenaw County.

David Fair: Well, since 2020 and the pandemic, we've seen food prices spiral in the U.S. up over 23%. Rents, mortgages, interest rates--all higher. Transportation costs continue to go up. We know those are factors in the growing demand. Are there other factors that maybe we're not considering that contribute to food insecurity in our community?

Eileen Spring: Well. Certainly, people who are accessing pantries, both locally and everywhere, are speaking a lot around the housing costs and the housing shortages. So, that's all part of just how it's much more expensive than it was for people prior to the pandemic. And I would note that Washtenaw County has for a long time been quite expensive. Many folks who go to pantries are working, but they just can't get enough resources to often meet the rents, deal with unanticipated costs or expenses. And so, it's quite challenging.

David Fair: Well, Food Gatherers began as a food rescue operation, and there is a clear and defined mission and the services provided as a result. But because of increased demand, the organization now has to purchase a good portion of the food it provides to the community. What is the ratio between rescued and purchased foods for those who are struggling with food insecurity?

Eileen Spring: That's a great question. So, Food Gatherers was actually launched Thanksgiving week in 1988. So, this is a particularly important time for us of the year. And we were just doing food rescue at that time. But as we collaborated with other organizations, we assumed the operation of the local food bank. And through that mechanism, we have access to federal food programs. And so, that is part of our mix, if you will. So last fiscal year, about 22% of the food that we distributed was rescue food. And a higher portion is food that is through the federal resources, right through USDA programs. And increasingly, because the demand has risen so much, we have to fill the gap with purchasing food. So, we are purchasing significantly more food than we were prior to the pandemic.

David Fair: Issues of the Environment and our conversation with Food Gatherers president and CEO Eileen Spring continues on 89 one WEMU. You note the vast amount of increases in the food you have to purchase. Now, what kind of impact is that having on the annual budget at Food Gatherers?

Eileen Spring: Yeah. So, we're purchasing more than two and a half times the amount of food at a much higher cost than we did prior to the pandemic. And so, that is forcing us to really reach out to the community more to get support, to reach out to local government entities. The good news/bad news is that we have been doing our food rescue work for so long that we are pretty much tapped into the market. We are on about 68 weekly food rescue routes. We're going to pretty much every grocery store in town multiple times a week. So, we are really squeezing everything we can out of that resource. The only way we can get more food is through government programs and/or purchasing.

David Fair: And how big a part of those government programs is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP program?

Eileen Spring: So, Food Gatherers really is nothing directly to do with SNAP, since that is a program people can access, but it's a hugely important program for the safety net. And just to give you a sense, for every meal that a food bank distributes, the SNAP program distributes nine. I mean, two-thirds of the people who get SNAP are kids or they're seniors. And they're people with really low incomes. So, it's a very important program, and we certainly help people learn about it. And we'll help them navigate their application. During the pandemic, there was an extra SNAP allocation...

David Fair: Right.

Eileen Spring: .... allowed for a while, and it made a big difference. And we can see it in real-time data. And since that went away, all of our programs pretty much are seeing 50% more people coming. So, it's a great indication of the importance of the federal safety net. And a program like Food Gatherers is really meant to expand and contract as the community needs us. Since 2019, we have been expanding and not contracting. And that is really putting some major strain really on the privately supported charitable system. We do need to have better policies to address people's basic needs, like food and shelter.

David Fair: We're talking with Eileen Spring from Food Gatherers on a pre-Thanksgiving edition of WEMU's Issues of the Environment. In addition to addressing hunger and food insecurity, the food rescue operation has distinct environmental benefits. Was that a planned part of the Food Gatherers mission?

Eileen Spring: I think so, yes. I mean, it was certainly an inspiration. You know, Paul Saginaw, one of the co-founders of Zingerman's, was inspired by seeing people rescuing food in New York City from a photoshoot. And he's like, "Gosh! We could do that!" I think, over the years, we have to find our food rescue program as in service to hunger relief. So, early on, we would be rescuing every bagel in town.

David Fair: Right, right.

Eileen Spring: And then, they would say they'd be heard in 24 hours. So, we got a little more sophisticated and really tried to focus on food that would be both nutritionally and economically valuable for the individuals that we serve. And so, we're really focusing on getting grocery items--fresh produce, prepared foods, really good, wholesome stuff that is of nutritional value and economic value to people. I mean, healthier food is more expensive. And so, that's a big part of our mission. And about 60% of all the food that we distribute, based on our own nutrition policy, is 60% protein or produce.

David Fair: And by redistributing the food that way and keeping it out of the landfill, it prevents a good deal of methane from being produced as that food waste decomposes. Is there any measure by which you can determine the impacts of that part of your operation? I mean, that has climate change implications.

Eileen Spring: It certainly does. We haven't really completed that, but I can share that it is part of the environmental movement, right, to reduce food waste. Food waste occurs on every part of the food chain, if you will. A lot of it is household waste, actually. But we're focused more on the grocery/farmer angle on it.

David Fair: Retail business community. Right.

Eileen Spring: Yes.

David Fair: Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and the December holiday season is right around the corner. Do major holidays create extra demand at Food Gatherers?

Eileen Spring: You know, the food demand has been so high and steady for so many years now that, actually during this time of year, there are more places that do it, like a special meal for Thanksgiving or a special distribution that they only deal with the holidays. So, in a way, there's a little more available to families who are looking for assistance. But, yeah, our demand is high. It's high in the summer. It's high in the winter.

David Fair: What is your level of optimism in seeing the trends start to change and go back down as to the number of people who are food insecure and hungry in Washtenaw County?

Eileen Spring: Well, I am trying to be optimistic. I think there is a lot of uncertainty in government right now, right, with the changing administration about what programs will be preserved or possibly cut. And so, that creates a lot of anxiety, I think, for many of us. I also think that still people really aren't aware about the level of need we have been experiencing. And just to give you a sense that if we were to count every person in every household, each time they receive services that Food Gatherers provided, we reach more than 1 million people during the year. That's enough to fill the University of Michigan Stadium nine-and-a-half times.

David Fair: That's frightening.

Eileen Spring: That's like a really staggering image to imagine, right, that that many people are relying on our community safety net. And I just encourage people to continue to support Food Gatherers and that 140 different programs that we work with throughout Washtenaw County.

David Fair: Well, let's hope for the most optimistic of outcomes as we move forward! Thank you so much for your time today! I appreciate it!

Eileen Spring: Thank you!

David Fair: That is Eileen Spring, president and CEO of Ann Arbor-based Food Gatherers. For more information and all the links you'll need, stop by our website at wemu.org when you get a chance. And let's take just a moment as we approach Thanksgiving to appreciate the work that Food Gatherers and the team of staff and volunteers are doing in the community. We should give thanks for that work. Issues of the Environment is produced in partnership with the office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, and you hear it every Wednesday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one, WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.

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