Encouraging Food Donation

Please read about our campaign to secure funding from the state legislature for large-scale procurement of donated Washington commodities for hunger relief efforts statewide.

This investment would dramatically increase the food available for hunger relief efforts statewide – food that may otherwise be lost – at a time when it is needed most. It is estimated that an additional 52.5 million pounds of produce and up to 10 million pounds of highly desired items like meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products are available to be distributed throughout the state’s existing food banking networks.

State Budget Investment for Hunger Relief

On October 30 food banks and hunger relief organizations across Washington sent a letter to Governor Jay Inslee requesting that he include $25 million in his 2024 State Operating Budget to help fund large-scale procurement of donated Washington commodities for hunger relief efforts statewide.

This investment would both further the state’s hunger response and advance us toward achieving the Wasted Food Reduction Act of 2019’s established a goal reducing edible food in landfills, by half, by 2030.

If successful, a statewide nonprofit produce cooperative would be named to scale up sourcing and distribution of donated Washington grown and produced food commodities to send them to food bank distribution centers, which would then to supply food banks, pantries and meal programs throughout the state.

Read the letter here.

For questions, please contact Aaron Czyzewski, director of Advocacy & Public Policy at Food Lifeline – aaronc@foodlifeline.org.

Additional Resources

Use Food Well Washington Recommendations
Use Food Well Washington Plan – Washington State Department of Ecology

Wasted Food Reduction Act of 2019, by Rep. Beth Doglio
1114-S2.E HBR FBR 19.pdf (wa.gov)

Organics Management Law of 2022, by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon
1799-S2.E HBR FBR 22 (wa.gov)

Pacific Coast Collaborative
Reducing Wasted Food – Pacific Coast Collaborative

ReFED
Food Waste Problem | ReFED

Washington State Department of Agriculture
Food Rescue | Washington State Department of Agriculture

Take Action

Read the Issue Brief

Read the Washington Commodity Donation Sign-On Letter we sent to Governor Inslee

SIGN to show you support requesting $25 million from the Washington State Legislature to fund harvesting and transportation costs associated with donated agricultural commodities.

Join Our Advocacy Network

Highlights of this Investment

Washington growers and producers produce food in abundance and have incredible amounts that end up unsold. Much is captured by donation and diverted to food banks, but a greater amount is lost, including to landfills.

We have the potential to divert up to 60 million more pounds of Washington agricultural commodities–a win for Washington families, a win for Washington farmers and food producers, and a win for the climate.

We are requesting $25 million to fund harvesting and transportation costs associated with donated agricultural commodities. These are monies paid to Washington growers and producers for processing and packaging donated agricultural products in an acceptable size for food banks.

This funding would allow an existing statewide, nonprofit food cooperative organization to scale up existing sourcing of donated produce, protein, and grain to send to Washington’s food bank distribution centers for redistribution throughout the state’s more than 600 hunger relief agencies.

This investment would nearly double the donated surplus food available for hunger relief efforts statewide – food that may otherwise be lost – at a time when it is needed most. It is estimated that an additional 52.5 million pounds of produce and up to 10 million pounds of highly desired items like meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products are available to be distributed throughout the state’s existing food banking networks.