As Daily Kos has covered, school closures make sense amid the pandemic, but children who rely on free or reduced breakfast and lunch are especially vulnerable to shutdowns. He told the outlet that he, too, has started tossing his excess tomatoes, as major buyers in the area, including Disney, have ceased.Īlongside all of this food waste: hungry people. “They’re cutting their squash every day and throwing it on the ground, hoping the market will turn around,” Jim Alderman, a farmer in Florida, said in reference to his fellow local farmers as reported by Politico. Rerouting from restaurant distribution to grocery store distribution, for example, can be a challenge if the farmer suddenly needs specialized equipment or materials, or is uneasy burning bridges in established business relationships.Īgricultural economist Roland Fumasi put the common struggle in simple terms in an interview with Wired, saying: “For foods that are perishable, you either have to find it another home, another buyer, immediately, or you walk away from the crop.”Īnd farmers know better than anyone, that process is far from easy. While the obvious solution is to funnel the food that ordinarily went to now-shuttered restaurants, colleges, or schools into grocers and food banks, reorganizing the food’s supply chain is difficult. Why are farmers and producers dumping excess goods? They’re in a tough spot with few easy answers.

In this time of uncertainty, we are grateful to be able to help Florida’s produce farmers, southeastern dairies and families in our communities.” Last month, Publix Charities pledged to donate $1 million to be divided among Feeding America food bank locations. In a press release, Publix CEO Todd Jones shared: “We have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

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