Before 2009, when Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks established the National Produce Program strategy, few food banks had a produce plan in place, leaving billions of pounds of edible fresh food to go to waste.
Now, under its National Produce Program strategy, all 200 food banks in Feeding America’s network can disseminate healthier food options like fruits and vegetables to the network’s 60,000 food pantries and other meal programs. Feeding America and food banks partner with growers and industry experts to identify and secure bulk sources of fresh fruits and vegetables, including but not limited to potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, apples and oranges.
