Reimagining Waste: Overcoming Food Recovery Barriers in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) Region

This research examined food recovery interactions within the FRESHFARM network of food vendors and food recovery organizations. A combination of knowledge from field work, surveys, and literature review were analyzed to examine the question: What challenges exist for food recovery and how can partnerships between producers and food recovery organizations be strengthened to increase food recovery? The goal was to sift through pre-existing knowledge and continue the research conversation while also informing organizational food recovery strategies and policies across FRESHFARM.

After FRESHFARM markets, perishable goods are often donated in a process referred to as “food recovery.” The challenges behind building intentional food recovery partnerships reflect larger impasses of meeting hunger needs with locally available nutrients. Opportunities to gather excess food from farmers markets, food businesses and grocery stores often define what will or will not be eaten by people experiencing hunger and food insecurity across the DMV.

Survey questions were designed to uncover how food waste and recovery occur within farmers markets and FRESHFARM partnerships. Questions were informed by experiences within the regional food system and extensive review of literature surrounding food recovery through peer reviewed materials, policy pieces, books, and stakeholder dialogues. A survey for food recovery organizations and a survey for food producers were tailored to the differing roles each stakeholder plays in the food system. Commonalities from the interviews were parsed out between participants to recommend some of the most prudent areas of research interest and support. A total of nine interviews took place between October 2022 and February 2023.

Producer survey results indicated that farms are beginning to take more action in seeking out food recovery partners. Monetary and policy incentives catalyzed this action alongside a desire to limit waste. Limiting overproduction from the source was also a factor in curbing food waste for farms and food producers. Food recovery organization results indicated that having adequate transportation and cold storage were keys to successful programming and subsequently also barriers to entry for smaller groups. Another key finding was that intermediary organizations that have the connections to coordinate food recovery operations are an important piece to bridging infrastructural or communication barriers to food recovery organizations.

Considering the survey results and synthesized literature and stakeholder knowledge, my recommendations are to create more collaborative food recovery spaces, center food recovery in regional food policies, and provide more transportation options for food recovery organizations. These actions serve to create stronger food recovery partnerships within the DMV and normalize food recovery as part of the larger interactions that occur within a regional food system.